A curse more often than a blessing
by JesterthePuppet
Summary: Madness isn't a place, it's a state of mind. But what would exactly happen if we were to accidently venture there? What would we find? Would Alice be the same Alice when she was a little girl? The answer to that is a big no. Read along as we have an epic adventure in the most gruesome game ever: Alice Madness Returns. But would you save your brother if he tried to kill you?
1. Down the rabbit hole

After two months of things being back to normal, I got really sick and tired of being home. Austin wouldn't leave me alone and Matthew apologized to me almost every hour for hurting me back in Soleanna. I wish he'd just shut up. But, it was nice that he talked to me.

Two days before school starts…great. Matthew was in the basement begging dad if he could spend the night at Johnny's. 'Please let him so I could be alone tonight.' I thought to myself.

Dad stood up from his chair and sighed. "Alright, just make sure to take a shower before you go." His eyes lit up and he ran upstairs, running past me. I heard dad walk up from the basement and mom walked down the stairs behind me. "Alright, we'll be back soon. Me and your dad have to go to the bank and Matthew's spending the night at John's." mom told me and then walked out the front door, dad following. "Okay." I said blankly and watched Matthew walk down the stairs, carrying a bag and two airsoft guns. "Alright, I'll be back by lunch tomorrow." he said with a smile and kissed my forehead. I grunted and moved my head away. He chuckled and opened the front door, running to his friend's house. "Leave it to me to close the fucking door." I muttered and closed the door, sitting back on the couch, turning the TV on. I smiled and turned the channel to SpongeBob. They say that show makes kids dumber, oh well! I think it's funny!

I looked to my left and picked up my netbook, setting it on my lap. The netbooks the school gave us are pieces of shit. I hate them so fucking much, but, it was better than my dinosaur (very old and slow) laptop. So true.

I got on my DeviantArt account and deleted some messages, same thing with my Yahoo. Next thing I did was the usual…creep the shit out of my friends and their friends over Facebook. I posted a picture of Smile Dog ( ) and put a little message next to it: "I'm always watching you humans. Don't look behind you tonight." Have you ever seen the picture? It's so creepy looking!

I gave off a little chuckle of amusement and closed the window, reopening a new one. The clock read seven fifty-eight and mom and dad left an hour ago. I could faintly hear Matthew, Johnny, Autumn, Austin, and Kat laughing outside and I raised my upper lip in hatred. Why can that little bitch be over at his house all the time and cuddle with him?! Why not me!?

A soothing chime came from upstairs and I looked towards the stairs in confusion. I hesitantly got up and slowly walked up the stairs, following the noise into my room. I stopped and frowned sadly as I saw my light brown collar on my bed side. The window was fully open and a soft breeze came through, making the blue charm with Jealousy's name engraved into it flow in the wind, making a soft soothing chime. The other charms stayed still. I could almost hear Jealousy's soft caring voice. _"Kouki forget about that careless fucker. Forget him. Remember that I still love you." _he would say in the calmest voice. Tears formed in my eyes and I nodded. 'Ok Jealousy.' I thought and sighed a deep sigh, walking out of my room. The door opened and mom and dad walked inside, carrying two Subway bags. "You hungry Brianna?" dad asked and set the bags onto the table. I nodded and we sat down to eat.

The sun was slowly going down and Autumn was swinging with the others. "Hey Matt, do you think we should get Brianna?" Austin asked as he stopped his swing. "No." Kat muttered. They looked at her and Austin stood up. "Well I'm going anyway." Kat watched in shock as the others got up and walked towards our house.

I was in the basement playing Sonic 06, having a blast. I still love that game so fuck off haters! The doorbell rang and I paused my level before it ended. "Great…" I growled and silently walked up the stairs and opened the front door. Austin smiled at me and I heard the chime again. "Wanna come outside?" he asked in a sly tone. The chime got louder in my ears and I smirked in amusement. I looked him in the eye and raised my left hand, straightening my middle finger. "Fuck you man-whore." He stared at me in shock as I slammed the door shut. I laughed and sighed, going back to my game.

The sun went down and I was playing the game over again. I didn't have that much Ps3 games. In fact, I only have three. Just as I reached the part where Silver meets Mephiles in Soleanna, I got a queasy feeling and my heart began to beat faster and faster every second. I panicked and quickly stood up, puking up blood as I stumbled to the back door. I coughed heavily and something in my head popped and I fell to my knees, bashing my head against the washing machine as I fell to the floor.

Matthew was playing Nazi Zombies with Johnny and Austin, making other players rage quit. They laughed and gave each other high fives. Suddenly, Matthew got light headed. He held his head and groaned slightly. "Matthew, are you okay?" Johnny asked. Matthew shook his head no and covered his mouth quickly, blood leaking out of his fingers. "Matthew?!" Austin and Johnny yelped and watched him drop to the floor, blood flowing out of his mouth, making a small pool. Austin kneeled down and placed his finger against his neck, trying to feel his pulse. But nothing happened. "Really?!" Johnny whispered and picked his body up, struggling as he carried him down the stairs and out the back door.

"Miss, are you okay?" a voice asked and shook my arm. My eyes opened and I sat up slowly. "Wha?" I questioned as I held my head. My vision was very blurry and gave me a hard time trying to see. "I asked if you were alright. You're not hurt are you?" the man asked and looked at me. I shrugged and struggled to stand. He stood up and grabbed my hand, gently pulling me up. I closed my eyes tightly and rubbed them with the back of my hand. My vision slowly came back and I closed them again, opening them and looked around. It was slightly foggy out and the buildings looked old fashioned. "Miss?" the man questioned and placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked over my shoulder at him and my eyes widened in horror and I slapped his hand away fiercely. Dr. Bumby looked at me in confusion and lowered his hand. "Are you alright?"

"Yes I am, just stay where you are!" I demanded and took a step back. He cocked an eyebrow and took a step forward. "I've never seen you before. Are you on your own or are your parents around?" I backed up some more and my legs trembled slightly. After reading the trivia about him it was pretty awkward looking at him even in the game. What a sick fucking bastard.

"I-I don't know." He stopped and looked my body up and down. I saw his eyes move and I blushed slightly. My brown hair was cut so that it was very short in the back and long in the front, my eyes were still hazel, I was wearing a dark purple dress that had a white apron tied on it, black tights, and black dress shoes. He put his fist to his lip, thinking. 'She's a very mysterious girl indeed. Just like Alice. Maybe if I can get her to trust me, I can get her changed into a mindless toy just like the other children.'

I tensed up as he held his hand out, trying to act friendly, and smiled sweetly. "Why don't you come with me. I could give you a place to stay." I growled slightly as he reached farther towards me, insisting that I grab his hand. "Get the hell away from me." I whispered menacingly, baring my teeth. He laughed and put his hand on his head, clearly amused. "What, did you think I was gonna take you to a dark alley? I would never do that to a young woman." I looked away and felt him place his hand on my shoulder. "I'll let you stay at the Houndsditch with the other children." I rolled my eyes and peeled his hand off my shoulder. "I'd rather not."

"There'll be other children to keep you company. You might even be able to keep Alice company." he urged on and held his hand out again. Alice…I forgot about her living at the Houndsditch with the others. I really didn't want to go, but if I were, I could help the children escape this monster. I sighed, really regretting my choice, and faced the man. "Alright." I whispered and placed my hand in his, his fingers almost covering my whole hand.

Bumby began walking down the street, holding me close to his side by my shoulder. I blushed dark pink and looked away from him. I hated this man in person already. And why am I in Alice Madness Returns anyway? I was playing Sonic, but it'd be kinda awkward going back to the future and seeing Silver again, along with Mephiles and Shadow. But maybe Matthew's not here and safe back home. I'd be really happy if he was so he wouldn't get hurt. This game's really dangerous, but maybe I wasn't going by the game, just like we didn't go by the manga Karakuridouji Ultimo.

"So, what's your name?" Bumby asked, not looking down at me, but I saw him smirk through the corner of my eye. I didn't have a collar on, so I might not have a name here. "Brianna." I muttered. Jesus how far is fucking Houndsditch anyway?! It seems like it's been an hour! "Brianna…what a lovely name." he smiled and pulled me closer slightly, making me blush darker and look away. 'I swear to god once you're asleep Bumby, I'll come into your room and tear your insides out! Why the hell isn't anyone stopping him?!' And then I remembered something I read. He turned children into prostitutes. So it must've seemed normal to people….at least SOME people. But then again, the streets weren't that busy. In fact, NO ONE was around. Must be still sleeping. Now I'm glad the world changed over the centuries. It was more awkward than you think, mainly because I HATE wearing dresses or skirts. But thank god I had tights on underneath.

"We're here." he muttered and opened the door for me and bent over slightly, his hand over his chest. I tensed up as I walked past him and he closed the door behind us. Children that were playing near us stopped and looked at us. "Dr. Bumby, who's that girl?" a little boy asked. Bumby chuckled and patted my shoulder. "This is Brianna, a new orphan." I tensed up and felt his body heat against my back. Now I officially hate adults. They nodded and continued to play. "Why not I show you you're room." he suggested as he placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me up the stairs. 'Nope nope nope nope.' I thought as we got to the top of the stairs. 'This sucks!'

The walls seemed to be green slightly with some blue combined and some children watched us walk down the hall and turn a corner, leading to another hall. It seemed empty but it wasn't a long hall and it only had three doors.

"Now, the door at the end of the hall leading to the stairs is my office. None of the children have permission to go in there so stay out, two of these doors are closets, and the last room is your room." Bumby instructed and opened the door to my room. My jaw dropped slightly and I walked slowly into the room, Bumby following behind. The walls were a light tannish color, a dark red circular rug was in front of the bed, a wooden desk on top of the rug, a wooden drawer, and the curtains were a dark blue. The bed had a white silk blanket with a thin, fuzzy black blanket laid out near the end, and soft pillows.

I looked all around in amazement and slowly stroked the silk blanket. "Wow…" He chuckled and sat against the desk, crossing his arms. "This was once a playroom for the children, but I changed it into a bedroom. They usually play outside though or downstairs." I nodded slightly and sat down on the bed. It was the same size as Matthew's room, not too small but not too big. "Do you like it?" he asked and looked at me. I nodded and smiled. "It's nice."

He nodded too and stood up, walking towards me and patted my head gently, smiling friendly. "Well, I'll let you get settled and if you happen to run into Alice, get to know her." I watched him closely and gritted my teeth in anger when he continued to pat my head and then tug on my cheek slightly, smiling still. I grunted and glared at him in anger. Now I REALLY hate adults. He chuckled and put his hand on my shoulder, gently patting. I watched him silently walk away, closing the door behind him. I blushed dark red and fell backwards, grabbing the pillow and shoved my face into it, screaming at the top of my lungs.

Once I was done screaming, I threw the pillow at the wall and noticed the sun going down. 'Maybe I should go find Alice.' I thought and silently opened the door, walking into the hall and closed it. I sighed quietly and tried my best to be silent while walking down the hall. This place seemed like a maze in real life. I passed two girls in the hall and heard them say something silently, but it didn't slide past my ears.

"Newbie." one whispered.

"Go home." the other whispered and glared at me.

Is that what Alice has to go through all the time? If I were her and heard something like that, I'd roundhouse kick the girls in the face. I walked down the stairs and felt a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. Alice jumped as well and sighed. "I'm truly sorry about that. Dr. Bumby wanted me to get to know you." I nodded and held my hand out, still trying to calm my nerves. "I'm Brianna Larson." She smiled warmly and shook my hand. "Alice Liddell. It's nice to meet you." I nodded again we walked down the rest of the stairs, talking to each other. She seemed lonely, and I wouldn't blame her. No friends, people call her crazy or insane, and she lives in this hell hole. I'll be glad to be her friend. "Well, doctor wanted me to show you around town." Alice smiled and we walked out of the orphanage.

"Okay, I just got here." I smiled back and we walked down the road, talking amongst each other. She pointed out the shops, some children she knew, and places I shouldn't go. It was really interesting being around her.

A white cat jumped in front of us and meowed loudly. "Here kitty kitty kitty." I called out and kneeled down. It meowed again and ran off. "Come on Brianna, let's go follow it!" Alice smirked and gently grabbed my hand, jogging after the cat. After a few minutes of following, she let go of my hand and we followed the cat. Soon, it stopped in a clearing and disappeared into the shadows. "Did you see where it went?" I asked and looked around. "No I didn't." she replied and looked into the shadows. Something cracked and two glowing eyes peered from the darkness, making her jump. She screamed and I looked towards her in shock, covering my mouth at what I saw. A man with a rabbit like head (I don't know what it was okay!) slowly walked towards us, snarling slightly. His jaw was wide open, and his hands were raised slightly, along with his arms. We backed up into each other and soon, other things just like him appeared, closing in on us.

I jumped when a hand grasped my shoulder and quickly turned around. "My stars and garters. Alice Liddell and a new friend! Slumming again are we?" nurse Witless gasped and smiled at us. We sighed in relief and looked at her. "Nurse Witless, what luck. Twice as in many months." Alice muttered and crossed her arms. She smiled at us and sighed. "Out on your own? You two look frazzled. Not doing well?"

"I wouldn't exactly say that." Alice sighed and crossed her arms.

"Come along home then and look at my pigeons, pretty birds, like you two." nurse Witless smiled and looked at us. "I don't think so! My last visit cost me several pounds and got me nowhere. You might charge Brianna more! And I don't want her money to be wasted on you." Alice growled in annoyance and glared at her. "I might recall where your mangy rabbit got to." she smirked and began walking away when Alice looked at her in shock. "C'mon Brianna." she whispered and grabbed my hand, dragging me after the old woman.

We followed her up to the roof and I stopped to look around. Pigeons flew everywhere, some in cages, some flying free. She was feeding the birds happily. Alice nudged my side and looked at me. "You okay?" I nodded and gave off a slight smile. "I'm fine Alice." She turned around and we walked over towards the old woman. "Nurse Witless, do you mean to harm us, or send me back to the asylum?" Nurse Witless smirked and walked to the edge of the roof slowly, still throwing out bird food. "I won't say no. I've a thirst you two can photograph. Need a drink." We watched in shock as wings ripped out of her back and disturbing cracking noises filled our ears as she changed into something hideous. She turned around and snarled at us as she speed walked toward us. We backed up and I heard some more cracking. I looked down at the floor and my eyes widened in horror as the ground underneath us collapsed. Both of us dropped into the large hole, objects floating around us. I wanted to scream but nothing came out.

Alice turned over and soon our surroundings became long pipes and doll faces. Voices echoed all around and I shivered. I tried to turn around but I couldn't for some reason. Just when I thought I was gonna pass out, a strong burst of energy shot through me and I saw Alice transform. Then, everything was surrounded in a white light.

Matthew slowly opened his eyes at the feeling of something roughly poke his arm. He sat up slowly, his vision blurry slightly, and he shook his head lightly. "I thought you were dead!" a young voice of a girl proclaimed and looked down at him. "Wha?" he silently questioned and he looked around, his vision already back, and spotted four children standing in front of him. He shrieked as he got a closer look at them, crawling backwards quickly in horror. "W-what the hell are you?!"

The insane leader looked at him funny, a grin plastered on her face from the corners of her lips stapled. "I'm just a normal girl, hehe, and you might've peed yourself."

Matthew's face turned red in embarrassment and looked down, placing his hand on his crotch, his pants not feeling wet. "Hehe, just kidding." she giggled. He gritted his teeth in anger and stood up, crossing his arms. "That wasn't fucking funny you little brat. What the hell happened to you guys anyway?" The children looked at each other, but not the leader. She just looked up at him and sighed. "Too many encounters with the Dollmaker." Matthew tilted his head in confusion and he looked around. Large doll houses surrounded them, along with oversized doll heads, cake pieces, and large pencils. "Where am I?" he muttered as he looked around. The insane child leader watched him and pointed towards the building made out of building blocks. "On the boarder of Fort Resistance." He followed her finger and nodded slightly seeing the sign.

"So…is that your house?" They walked with him and she giggled. "Nah, that's our fort to hide from the dolls that run amuck around here." Matthew looked down at her and she nodded. "Dolls?"

The insane child leader heard something at the far right and she immediately tensed up. "It's here you dimwits get inside!" Matthew watched in confusion as the children scrambled into the fort, closing the doors quickly. A cry came from behind him and his jaw dropped in horror, almost losing his bladder.

Doll Girl slowly appeared into the open, holding two parts of a large pair of scissors. She laughed and snarled, charging at him. Matthew yelped in shock and quickly jumped over the side to Fort Resistance. She cut the wood and quickly ran down the ramp, towards him. As the oversized doll got closer, he sprinted towards the gingerbread wall and was hit in the shoulder by a flaming ball of ruin. He screeched as he flew through the air and hit the ground at full impact. The doll laughed and the menacing ruin growled.

The insane children watched him as he lay motionless on the ground. He was wearing a black hooded cloak that was open in the middle showing his chest and had two gold buttons that had a small silver chain hanging from them, dark brown hair, a black spiked cuff on his right wrist, and black baggy pants.

Matthew groaned slightly as he struggled to get to his knees and jumped when a medium sized pool of ruin formed in front of him. An insidious ruin appeared out of the substance and snarled, scratching his face. He yelped and quickly stood up, running away screaming his head off. Doll Girl laughed and ran towards him, giggling happily. His face was bleeding heavily but he managed to jump onto a giant doll head and jump towards an open house, only managing to miss but grab onto the ledge. Matthew struggled to pull himself up, gritting his teeth in annoyance and slowly looked behind his shoulder, not aware of another doll girl appearing in front of him.

Tons of insidious, menacing, and one colossal ruin were gathered under him, snarling as they reached up to him. Three doll girls were in the crowd too. 'What the fuck is this shit?!' Matthew thought and heard a chuckle above him, looking up. The blond doll girl laughed and brought down one scissor blade, cutting his arm off near his elbow. Matthew screamed at the top of his lungs and let go, falling onto a menacing ruin, who pushed him off. Tears streamed down his face as he gritted his teeth together looking up at the monster.

It snarled and swatted him in the face sending him into the open. A drifting ruin shot him in the shoulder with a hardened piece of ruin, making him scream again. Matthew twitched madly, hearing heavy footsteps come towards him and screeched as the brunet doll girl cut off his shin (leg), then his thigh near his knee up in a diagonal line. Matthew cried, becoming light headed, and blacked out. The doll girls disappeared along with all but one of the ruin monsters. The menacing ruin picked him up gently, along with his arm and disappeared along with him.

The insane children looked at each other, clearly shocked.

**There ya go! Hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. Entering the Hatter's Gate

Matthew was laid out on a table (a very big one too) and a tall figure loomed over him. He groaned silently as a hot sensation ran down his stomach in a slanted motion and down both of his legs. "You're a very lucky young man." the figure muttered after about a few uncomfortable minutes of silence. He groaned again, numb all over. "W-where am I?" The figure chuckled slightly as he cut open his stomach in a slanted cut. "You're in the underground part of the Dollhouse."

Matthew moved his head slightly and opened his eyes slowly, looking up at the man. The man had brown hair that looked greasy but combed neatly, a bent nose, a darkish blue vest, a white long-sleeved shirt on underneath. And what scared him the most…is that this man didn't have any eyes. Instead, ruin dripped onto the table and formed a moustache and beard.

"W-who are you?" Matthew asked in horror, trying to get his body to move. The man grinned, sharp teeth showing. "My dear boy, I am the Dollmaker. I create beautiful dolls and let them roam around all around in the Dollhouse, along with my ruin creations." He looked around, his eyes frantic and showed fear. Children where hung on hooks by their backs, covered with doll parts, so they looked unfinished. "I'm deeply sorry my creations attacked you earlier. They have a mind of their own sometimes."

Matthew groaned loudly as a hot substance was poured into his cut open stomach and overflowed onto his chest. The Dollmaker smiled and wiped some ruin off his chest, in a slanted line. "I'm sorry to say that I can't get your legs reattached, but they could always be replaced…along with your waist down." He let out a scream as the black substance traveled down his wounded legs. The man hummed slightly as he formed new legs over his real one and chuckled as he heard him scream in pain as the ruin slowly burned his real legs away, along with his remaining stomach.

Matthew twitched madly, regaining his senses, and tears rolled down his cheeks. "Now don't cry my dear boy. The pain will only last for a few minutes." the Dollmaker smirked and chopped off all of his fingers on both of his hands. Matthew shrieked, the pain unbearable.

The man opened a drawer and took out ten sharp pointed claws made of metal. He tinkered with the flat surface of all of them and took one of his hands in his fingers, pressing five of the claws on all five of his fingers. Matthew groaned as they attached themselves to the open wounds. He did the same to the other hand.

"What's your name anyway?" the Dollmaker asked. He gritted his teeth in pain, looking at him, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "M-matthew…"

"Matthew…" the man muttered. "That's a bland name. Why don't we change it. I'll call you…..Reaper."

He then took out six more claws and grabbed his legs, shoving three into each nub (when the ruin formed around his legs and made new ones, they didn't form feet but just nubs. Look at any ruin monsters feet and you'll see what they look like. Only his have three claws in them).

The Dollmaker flipped him around gently so that he was on his stomach and cut open two sides on his back near his shoulders. "This may hurt for a second or two." Matthew let out a screech as ruin was poured into the holes and formed into arms with sharp claws (fingernails) on the end of each finger. "Why're you doing this to me?!" he demanded as more tears left his eyes. The Dollmaker laughed in amusement and flipped him back over. "I'm only helping you to get better and become stronger Reaper."

Matthew's red eyes were blinded by the tears that continuously flowed from his eyes. The man grabbed his unattached arm and grabbed his other half, which was attached to his body, and took out a needle and some thick black thread that didn't look anything like thread. Matthew gritted his teeth and yelped when he began to sew the two appendages back together. Once he was done sewing them, he covered them in hardened ruin to allow the bone to heal correctly.

(20 minutes later)

After patiently waiting, the Dollmaker removed the hardened ruin away from his arm and moved it around gently. "Does it hurt at all?" he asked curiously. Matthew shook his head no. He smirked and set his arm down, his claws making a slight clicking noise when they hit the wood. He reached into another drawer and pulled out a black pair of pants. "Fortunately I was able to sew the cut off pieces of your pants back on to make them look a little normal, but they still have some holes in them and they were sewn diagonally."

Matthew turned his head and saw that they were indeed "fixed" but they were ripped big time on the bottom of the pant legs. The chain that was attached to a loop on his left side of the pants right in front of the left front pocket made a slight chiming noise. There was a pocket on his right pant leg that had a flap that allowed you to open and close it.

The Dollmaker gently picked Matthew up and put his renewed pants on, buttoning them up. He laid motionless in his hand, looking up at the ceiling, dry tears staining his cheeks from crying. "We only have two more things to do so don't worry Reaper." the man muttered and pulled out his black hooded cloak. He also saw that it was badly ripped near the bottom.

The Dollmaker pulled it over his head and smiled as it fit him perfectly. "Now all we need to do is give you your mask to show that you belong to me." he muttered and pulled a mask out of the drawer where the claws came from. Matthew tensed up and his heart raced quickly inside of his chest. The mask looked exactly like a ruin monsters face, in fact…it was. It was made of porcelain but dirt slightly covered its cheeks, where cracks were seen. The right cheek had a medium sized crack and the left looked as if it was hit with a baseball. The mouth was made into a frown and near the ends of the lips, a long line traveled down to the bottom of both sides of its jawline, allowing it to open and close whenever.

"What're you gonna do with that?!" Matthew demanded, scared. The man chuckled and held him down by the shoulders with two fingers, smirking. "Calm down Reaper. If I miss and place it awkwardly on your face, I wouldn't be able to pull it out right away." He looked at the mask in horror as it rose over his face and saw the spikes sticking out from underneath it.

The Dollmaker placed it gently on his face, Matthew frozen in horror, and slammed his hand down onto his face, sending the spikes into his flesh and through his skull. Matthew shrieked in pain and flailed around in his hand, blood spurting out from underneath the mask. The eyeholes completely shadowed his real eyes. The mouth stayed closed. `

The man placed his fingers on his chest and gently dragged his bloody hair out from under the mask and laid it on top of it, gently fluffing it. He sobbed loudly, his tears hidden.

"See, that wasn't so bad my boy." The Dollmaker chuckled and wiped the blood away and set him down on the ground. A menacing ruin formed near the man and held a scythe in its hand. Matthew stumbled, his heart close to stopping and looked around, getting used to seeing out of a mask. He looked down at his hands then at his feet. The menacing ruin walked up to him and handed it to him, kneeling down.

"What is it doing?" Matthew questioned and looked up at the man. The Dollmaker smirked and rubbed his head gently with his finger, making him lower his head and grunt. "I created you this way to control these creations just like I do."

"So," he muttered with a blunt expression. "I can control these things just like you can?" The man just nodded. Before he could say anything else, the Dollmaker gently gave him a shove and smiled. "Go on and explore around and get used to your new body and abilities." Matthew nodded and hesitantly jumped off the table and ran away.

Alice and I gently floated down towards the ground, looking around. "What the…" I muttered and continued to look around. "Exactly what I was thinking Brianna." Alice muttered and looked at me with a gentle smile. So, I smiled back. Our feet touched the ground and she began to walk slowly away. "A very upsetting journey, but we're rid of Pris or whatever she's become." she muttered. I just nodded. She was pretty fucking creepy looking. "At least the place we've landed is somewhat familiar." she finished.

"About time too Alice." a voice muttered and Cheshire Cat appeared in front of us. Alice gritted her teeth in anger and folded her arms. "Blasted cat. Don't try to bully me! I'm very much on edge!" Cheshire just grinned like usual and looked at her. "Purrfect. When you're not on edge you're taking up too much space."

"You're no help at all!" Alice snapped at him.

"But you know I can be." he mused on.

"I'll frighten myself, when necessary thanks very much! I was hoping to escape from all that." she sighed slightly and looked at him. Cheshire just kept on grinning and looked to his left. "Abandon that hope. A new law reigns in this Wonderland Alice, it's very rough just as all round. We're at risk here, you and you," I jumped slightly when I heard him say you twice and looked at him. He looked directly at me. "Be on your guard." he finished and disappeared.

I gave her a confused look and she shrugged. "Don't listen to him. All of the things he says are either a lie or incredibly stupid to believe." I nodded looked at my dress. It was a dark grey with a white apron tied on it, black tights, white boots, and a white fur vest left unbuttoned. I smirked and we walked through the water and up the slanted rock path covered slightly in moss. I looked around in amazement at how beautiful it really was. "This place is gorgeous Alice." Alice giggled slightly and smiled. "I guess it is."

She walked up to a small crystal house that just floated in the middle of the path and touched it. _"You're part frog Alice I swear! You jump so well!"_ a voice exclaimed. Alice frowned slightly and looked down at the ground. "Alice?" I asked and placed my hand on her arm, making her look down at me. "I'm fine. We should move on." I nodded and that's what we did.

We ran up another path and jumped onto a ledge and a domino floated down to the edge of the ledge. "Ah crap domino!" I shouted and fell off the ledge and landed on the ground, Alice rushing towards the edge. "Brianna are you okay?!" she asked in a worried tone. I groaned slightly and got to my knees. "Besides having a minor concussion, yeah I'm alright." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Don't scare me like that okay. I thought you were hurt badly." I nodded sheepishly and lowered my head, jumping back onto the ledge.

'It's the domino's fault! Blame it for floating down unexpectedly!' I thought and we jumped onto the other ledge. We ran around the tree and I stared at the crying Alice statue in awe. "Woah…" I muttered. Alice patted my shoulder, making me jump and quickly turn around. "Don't do that!" I shouted and sighed. She smirked and pointed at the dominos that formed three platforms to jump onto. "So, do you know how to twirl and jump at the same time onto the dominos or is this the start of a hatred for them instead?"

I looked at her in shock and she laughed. "I do not h- yeah okay…I hate dominos now. But I bet I can twirl in the air!" She smirked and stood aside. "Prove it." I looked at her in shock, then at the dominos. 'Okay, you can do this Brianna! Just jump and spin around in the air.' I gulped and took a few steps backwards and took a running start. I jumped into the air, my eyes closed tight, and felt my feet hit something. Alice looked at me in surprise and she laughed happily. "That was amazing Brianna!" I opened my eyes and saw that I was on the first one.

I sighed and Alice dropped down next to me. "Well, let's get going shall we?" I nodded and we jumped to the next two and then reached the other walkway. We dropped down to the one below it and she touched another house memory. _"If you leap from that table again Alice I'll expire! You're 2 times too reckless my girl!"_ her mother called, making her blush in embarrassment.

We jumped onto each of the mushrooms that were sticking out of the ground and when we reached a ledge, a pink mushroom spring appeared. "Woah." I muttered and cocked an eyebrow. "Do we jump on it?" Alice questioned and looked at it. I looked at her and gave a half shrug half nod. So, we jumped on it and were flung into the air and we landed on the highest ledge above us.

There was another mushroom spring and she saw another house memory and walked up to it, poking it. _"Amanita muscaria Alice, is merely a stinky toadstool. A spongy consistency, but poisonous." _her father muttered. She turned around and saw that I wasn't there. "Hey Alice, are you coming or what?" I asked and she looked above her. I giggled as I looked down at her, knelt down. "I'll be right up." Alice smiled and ran on the spring, being launched into the air. She landed with a soft thump and walked up to me. "Is that an alcohol bottle?" I asked curiously and we dropped down to the ground. "If it was I wouldn't let you go near it." Alice replied. I just nodded.

I stopped walking and she slowly walked closer towards the large pool of purple liquid. "I've been down this road before. Good things in small packages?" Then Cheshire Cat appeared, sitting on top of a domino. Pewdiepie hates barrels, I hate dominos.

"Though lacking a bathing costume, a plunge in that pool is in order." he muttered, grinning. She walked closer towards the falling liquid and put her hands in the liquid, getting her hair wet. Bubbles formed around her and I watched in shock as she slowly shrunk. "My god…I'm shrinking in this potion! Sh-shall I disappear?" Alice asked in shock. Cheshire just shook his head no. "Almost. But the upside is that while smaller, you can see things that are nearly invisible to your bigger self."

"Ah I get it! Quite. "Forests for the trees", just the other way 'round. Short-sighted is more than a matter of perspective." We watched him disappear and she walked up to me. "Your turn." I looked at her like she was crazy and backed up. "I'm not gonna swim in some liquid I never heard of! Who knows what's in it! There could be sleeping powder in it!" Alice laughed and I blushed in embarrassment. She placed her hands on my back and pushed me under the pouring liquid. I screamed as it hit my skin. It was pretty cold.

Nothing happened, so I just walked out, drenched in the liquid. "I hate you." I growled. She grinned and patted my back. "Just concentrate on shrinking. You'll get the hang of it and don't worry if you get the hiccups while small." I nodded and we walked towards the keyhole, touching the needle memory. _"Look how small she's become. All curled up she's barely there! A vixen in her hidey hole."_ a man examined. I cocked an eyebrow and grunted, concentrating.

Before I knew it, Alice grabbed my hand and led me through the small tunnel. I looked around in amazement and we reached the end of it, returning to normal. We ran onto the spring and was launched into the air. We ran towards the keyhole and shrunk down, running through it easily and quickly. Once we reached the other end I almost had a heart attack. "It's Gary the snail!" I shouted. Alice looked at me funny and I smiled. "Who?"

"Nothing."

We dropped down to the lowest walkway and ran into the keyhole. I gave off a slight hiccup and I swear to god I heard Alice giggle. We appeared on the other side and shrank under the dice that were stacked on top of each other and walked around. Alice walked behind a rock and saw a house memory and touched it. I looked at the blue mushroom in curiosity and Alice walked up next to me. We stepped on it and we were flung into the air, surrounded by a white light.

Matthew walked around the underground part of the dollhouse, used to his new body. Two slithering ruin followed behind him and he stopped, looking around. "This place is pretty creepy as hell. I wonder how I can get back up onto the actual ground of the Dollhouse." The arms protruding from his back stood up, holding his scythe. He sighed and got an idea. The arms lowered and he grabbed the handle of the weapon and raised it in the air. "Why don't we get out of this stupid girly place!" The slithering ruins made some type of noise and he scratched the wall with it, the wall turning white, and he walked into the light, disappearing.

Alice dropped down from the slide and landed next to me. "Why's the water red?" I asked. She just pointed to the remaining bones of the Jabberwocky. We ran towards it in surprise and slowed down when we reached it. And all of a sudden (nothing good happens when someone says all of a sudden), Cheshire appeared. "The Vorpal Blade is swift and keen and always ready for service."

We watched as the blade pulled itself out of the bones and floated towards Alice. She grabbed it and examined it. "I've not come back here looking for a fight." Cheshire grinned and looked at both of us. "Really? That's a pity. One's certainly looking for you two." After that, he disappeared.

I watched her test it out on some orange shells, easily breaking them, and getting teeth. She ran up to the needle memory and touched it and went to destroy some more shells. For some odd reason, I couldn't hear the memories anymore. Alice destroyed the shells blocking the way and whistled. "Brianna come one!" I looked at her and nodded, running towards her. We walked into an open room and a medium pool of ruin formed in front of us, an insidious ruin forming.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I screamed and hid behind Alice, who looked down at me. She grinned wickedly and rushed towards the monster, slicing through it. Ruin splattered against the ground and she tore its head out. It instantly melted into the ground. Two more appeared and she aimed for the nearest one. "Ugly, gross, and evil in a single monstrosity!" she growled and killed it, doing away with the other one.

Clapping could be heard and we turned around quickly. Matthew sat on a tree branch, clapping slowly, looking down at us. "Who the hell are you?!" Alice shouted, her Vorpal Blade ready. I looked at him and studied him. 'Could this guy be a blocked out enemy?' Then, I remembered something. I remembered going through all of the characters in the game and he wasn't in it at all, not even in American McGee's!

"That was very impressive." Matthew muttered, the mask making his voice slightly muffled. She growled and glared at him. He chuckled and dropped to the ground, walking towards us. "You're Alice Liddell, the stupid brat who killed her parents." She looked at him in shock and growled. "How do you know me?!" He laughed and quickly grabbed her throat, raising her in the air. She dropped the blade and gasped for breath, the metal claws digging into her skin. "Alice!" I shouted and ran towards them.

Matthew turned to look at me and dropped her, sprinting towards me. "Brianna watch out!" Alice shouted. I yelped when he grabbed my neck and pinned me against a tree, making leaves fall down. "Brianna…so this is what you're up to…" She grabbed her blade and plunged it into his back. Matthew screeched and melted into the ground. I looked at the ground in shock and Alice grabbed my arm, running away. "We better leave before he comes back." I nodded and we ran through the tunnel, past a memory from Bumby, and onto a spring, landing on a ledge. We ran down the hill and slowed down. "It looks like we have to float to the other side and then to the other ones." I muttered. We looked at each other and nodded, taking some steps back and sprinted to the edge, jumping into the air. Surprisingly when I twirled, I actually floated successfully to the other side. We then did that to the others.

Once we reached the walkway and walked up to the edge of the end of it, she tensed up. "Just stay behind me Brianna." she muttered and we dropped to the ground, walking up to the kitchen the Duchess was cooking in.

"Ah, it's you again Alice! You may approach." the Duchess exclaimed and looked at us. "Why would I do want to eat me! And I'm not gonna let you eat my best friend." My eyes widened slightly when she said best friend. 'Am I really her best friend?'

"Yes, well, you've taught me manners, and I've lost my taste for mad women. Strictly a porcine diet for me. Everything's better with bacon don't you agree? Of course you do." she muttered and went on. "Now, there are pig snouts scattered about, I heard a few behind the house, go fetch them for me! But take care of the pests that block your way. Pepper them up if they do! They need spice and you're just the dis-girl, to season them for me. You'll find that grinder serviceable."

"Why don't you season your own pig parts?" I asked. The Duchess just looked away from us. "Matter of priorities. My alabaster skin needs protection from the disgusting creatures running amok amidst the environs. But one get peckish…look, all you have to do is listen for the oink then shoot the snout. You may like the results. I certainly will."

She went back to her cooking and Alice walked up to the Pepper Grinder, picking it up. The door opened near the closed keyhole and we ran into the forest again, two Bolterfly's appearing out of the metallic nest. The nineteen year old handed me the Vorpal Blade and we nodded, going off on a killing spree which isn't really graphic.

We walked towards the flying pig snout and she shot pepper at it. It sneezed and flew into the kitchen where the Duchess was waiting. So, we ran back into the kitchen and I gave the Vorpal Blade back to her. "Thank you so much for the snout. Now go away." the Duchess thanked us and a basket appeared. The girl destroyed it with a few cuts from her blade and gathered all of the golden teeth. The keyhole opened and we shrunk down, running into it and through the tunnel. We got to the other side and I instantly saw a flying pig snout. She seemed to have seen it too.

Alice aimed the Pepper Grinder and shot it. It sneezed and disappeared but two Bolterfly nests dropped down, one on the ledge in front of us and the other in a tree. I saw an insidious ruin walk to the edge of another walkway, waiting for us. "Take the Vorpal Blade and kill that thing. I'll deal with these guys." Alice muttered and gave me the weapon. I jumped onto each domino and stabbed the ruin monster repeatedly in the face.

Alice killed all of the Bolterfly's and destroyed their nests. She jumped onto the floating dominos and landed next to me. We walked up the slanted walkway and she shot the flying pig snout. It disappeared. Some more floating dominos floated down to create more paths and we jumped onto the one ledge and she touched a feather memory. We then jumped towards the two joined dominos and hesitated before jumping to the pair that moved from left to right. I grunted when water drenched my hair and clothes from the waterfall and Alice got wet too.

We got to the other walkway and my jaw dropped as some slithering ruin fell out of the crying Alice statue that had ruin oozing out of the eyes. She killed them easily. So, we moved on. We jumped onto a ledge and Alice yelped as she was scratched across the arm, her blood splattering the ground. "Alice!" I shouted and pushed the thing over the edge, hearing it make some type of screaming noise as it plunged into the darkness. "Well," she muttered and walked up next to me. "That's one way to kill them."

I nodded and watched her destroy two orange shells, touching some rose petals, making them disappear. "Let's move on." she suggested. I nodded and we ran away. We turned a corner and slowed down, watching as some tall ledges collapsed and fall, some trees going too. Some rails appeared and ruin spewed upright out of them. Alice growled and looked all around. "I can't believe this is happening." I looked at her and she looked at me. "Be careful going over them." She then pointed to the safest ledge that lead to another path. "I'll meet you over there."

I nodded and watched her jump onto the ledge below me and run onto the spring, being thrown into the air. Alice twirled and floated to the next one, doing the same. I heard screeches coming from some ruin monsters and saw her jump onto the ledge she pointed out, her Vorpal Blade in her hand, and she waved me over. I did the same thing she did and yelped when I got close to the hot ruin, almost getting burned. But thankfully I made it over to her.

She smiled at me and I smiled back slightly, my heart racing. We watched as some trees plummeted towards the ground, the sky turning orange. We looked at the path and floated down towards it and ran into what looked like an outdoor train station. A Bolterfly nest dropped down onto the nest in front of us and two Bolterfly's appeared, along with a lot of insidious ruins.

Alice charged at them, killing the Bolterflys first then attacking the ruin monsters. I looked at the nest and ran towards the pink mushroom spring and jumped onto it, being flung into the air and landed on the long ledge above it. I ran towards the mushroom and jumped onto it, kicking it furiously. It was odd because after a few kicks it was destroyed. I didn't think a human foot can destroy that kind of nest. After a few minutes, Alice was done killing the ruin monsters and she wiped her blade on her white apron.

We watched a train fall off the edge of a cliff and she sighed. "Hatter always hated mechanical malfunctions. This disaster is either his doing or his epitaph." I looked at her and she grabbed my hand, leading me towards the edge of the cliff. Railways were in the middle of two platforms and it almost seemed as if it curved onto the higher on. We nodded at each other and jumped onto the lowest one, hitting the spring. We floated towards the higher one and landed next to another spring. "What's that tunnel?" I asked curiously as we floated down towards the path. Alice shrugged and we stumbled as the ground shook, running into the tunnel just in time to avoid the large falling rocks. We turned towards the dark tunnel and we began to run as fast as we could. Dirt fell as the ground shook and we slid on the slide, landing in a rocky hall or what looked like a hall. We dropped down to the ground and jumped when a Madcap dropped down to the ground, landing on its stomach and stood up, wielding a fork.

"Is that supposed to look intimidating?" I asked quietly. Alice smirked and got her weapon ready. "I don't care if it's intimidating or not but when someone threatens me or my friends they're dead." I watched in shock as she rushed towards the small green person…thing. After two blows to the head, Alice cut the Madcaps head off. Three more appeared and she killed them the same way.

A metal door lowered and an armored Madcap walked towards us, a plate (I think) as a shield. When it moved it away to taunt her, she just stabbed it like crazy, killing it. We ran up the ramp and into what looked like a dry place with tea pots everywhere. Three Madcaps appeared, one armored, and she attacked them, killing all three. Things seemed to have calmed down and I noticed a dusty old robot lying against a wall. Alice seemed to have noticed too. "The Automaton, one of Hatter's machines. The blasted thing was a pain trying to get rid of."

I looked at it and reached my hand out, brushing my fingertips against the rusty metal. "Let's go Brianna, we can't stay here for long or else more will show up." Alice muttered and began to walk away. I followed her and was launched into the air by hitting the pink spring, landing next to her. We dropped down to the ledge below us and we dropped down again and walked up to the giant hole. Alice studied it and shrank, seeing a new path. "Follow me." she muttered when she got back to normal size and walked along the now invisible path, calm.

Once we reached the other side, I sighed in relief and we walked up the metallic stairs. I looked at the huge clockwork building ahead of us, feeling light headed and jumped when a loud horn sounded off. Alice looked at me and chuckled. "Sorry. Did I scare you?" I looked at her in shock. "Hell yeah you did!" She laughed and what looked like a teapot car landed on the metal floor and the door opened. We walked in it and I stumbled slightly when it turned around and was pulled up by the cables.

"The Hatter's Domain, almost as I remember it." Alice muttered, her arms folded. "Appearances as you know better than most can be deceiving Alice." Cheshire muttered and appeared in front of us. "Much has changed since your last visit." Alice just grunted. "Dr. Bumby says change is constructive. That difference is good."

"Different denotes neither bad nor good but it certainly means not the same. Find the Hatter. He knows more about difference than you two." he muttered and grinned at us. I frowned and gave him a confused look. "But does he know more about the difference between good and evil?" He gave me a shocked look and then grinned. Then a swarm of Bolterflys circled around us and rammed against the glass, cracking it. "Making friends I see? You're as randomly lethal and entirely confused as you ever were."

"We've managed so far without you cat." Alice growled. "Return to whatever hovels home to you we'll call if we need you." Cheshire chuckled and looked away. "Predictably rash. It's not the question of if, Alice, it's when. Now hold on and as they say…shut up." We watched him disappear and she growled. "So typical."

I tensed up and yelped when we crashed through a hole in the wall, smoke surrounding us.

**Well I hope this chapter was okay for as long as it was.**


	3. The Mad Hatter

Alice groaned and slowly sat up. "I've made more graceful entrances. I suppose I must be grateful nothing's broken." She stood up and dusted herself up, panic suddenly over coming her. "Brianna?! Where are you?!" She heard a groan and looked up. I laid in front of the destroyed teapot car, dizzy. "My head hurts…" I whispered and heard footsteps in front of me. Alice looked down at me, her arms crossed, wearing the Streamdress….dress. "Are you alright?" she asked and held her hand out. I nodded slightly and grabbed it, being helped up.

I saw her tense up slightly and I gave her a questionable look. "What?" Alice frowned slightly and made some sort of up and down motion with her hands. I grunted and looked at what I was wearing. The whole dress was a dark shade of red but on the top were orange lines going down and across with three black buttons, a white shirt underneath with a light purple bow, a white glove on my left hand, and a brown corset. I almost passed out when I looked at my other arm. It was completely gone. The thing replacing it looked like a metallic arm with a gear sticking out of my shoulder with a dark bulge that a long rod attached to, small and big bolts connecting another dark piece. But what really scared me was that I had what looked like a very large metal shaped arrow head connected to some curved metal bits.

I hesitantly looked down at my legs and my eyes grew wide. One leg had a gear sticking out of the knee, where my legs were cut off, a long bar sticking downwards, some wire wrapped around it, and an animal like metallic paw. The same with the other, only there were two gears on the sides of my thigh on the one leg, some metal shaped on both sides so that it curved, and one real brown paw attached, claws sticking out of the toes. Alice stared at me with wide eyes and smirked, calming down. "You know…you look almost like March Hare."

I felt a blush creep onto my face and my long ears twitched. The only thing I didn't have on was the face and head piece he has. Alice walked up to the house memory and smiled at me. "Shall we go on then?" I nodded and we walked out of the room we crashed into. I spun around slightly from the sky and groaned. "What's wrong Brianna?" Alice asked as she looked at me. I stood still for a moment and looked at her. "This place is fucking trippy." She nodded slightly and walked up to a valve, turning it, making some steam vents rise. "Come on."

I nodded and we jumped towards the steam, being pushed up. I yelped. "It's so fucking hot!" She giggled and took out her Vorpal Blade, landing on the floating checkered platform in front of us, stabbing a Madcap repeatedly. It fell to the ground, blood surrounding it. I landed behind her and we jumped towards the next vent which was slightly higher. We floated towards the next platform that lead into a room where two Madcaps were waiting. Alice killed them.

We walked into the room and I covered my nose, gagging. Dodos spun over some fire, either dead or alive. "Your nose must be sensitive." she muttered and walked up to a lever, pulling it, making it turn off. The large golden gear moved and a Madcap looked at us. "Why? Because I'm an animal?" I asked in a quiet shout. She summoned the Pepper Grinder and aimed it at the green being. "You're part animal Brianna. Part." I rolled my eyes and she began to fire, killing the thing.

We jumped onto the ground and walked out of the room, into the open again. Alice walked up to a valve and turned the wheel, making a steam vent rise. I watched in amazement as she easily killed the enemies, the attacks from the knife seeming faster slightly. She was the first to jump into the steam, being hoisted up and she landed on another checkered platform, killing another Madcap. She walked up to the edge of the platform and waved for me to follow. I nodded and jumped into the steam, being flung up, and twirled before I landed next to her. She gave off a smirk and we jumped towards the room in front of us, floating down towards the ledge. We landed on it and dropped down into the (I think it was a hallway) hallway. A Madcap growled at us and lunged at us, its spoon in the air. I dodged it, red flower petals trailing behind me.

Alice grinned and began to slice into its neck, cutting through every muscle and vein. Blood spurted onto the floor and she let go of it. It dropped to the floor and died. She smirked and looked at me. "Let's go." I nodded and we ran into the opening, running around a curve and jumped into the steam, being flung into the air and I watched her move and float down towards a moving gear. I floated down towards it when it came back and landed next to her, smiling.

Before I was about to jump to the next vent, Alice put her hand in front of me. "Wait….just stay here and don't move until I come and get you."

"But…why Alice?"

"Do as I say!"

I instantly shut up and watched her rise into the air and land on the tall platform, garbage and metal teacups everywhere. (Then Alice went off to kill even more Madcaps and I'm too lazy to write it.)

My heart raced slightly and I took a small step forward. "Alice are you okay!?" No response. Alice sighed and smirked, killing all of the enemies. She walked back through the opened door and walked up to the edge. "It's safe Brianna. You can come up." I nodded and jumped towards the vent, being pushed onto the walkway she was on. She nodded at me and we ran through the door.

**A few moments later…**

We walked through a hall, looking around. "This place almost reminds me of a fucked up checkerboard." I muttered, my metallic foot making a slight clicking sound as I walked. Alice nodded, her arms crossed. We floated towards a ledge that was far away and landed on it, jumping onto the higher ledge above it.

We ran into a very large room, steaming hot tea below us. We watched in shock as an Eyepot crawled down a chandelier, growling slightly and looked at us, dropping to the ground and rose up on its one hind leg and brought down the two front ones, snarling. Alice gritted her teeth and took out the Pepper Grinder, shooting it in its eye. It yelped and dropped to the ground, dizzy. She ran up to it and quickly stabbed it, its red eye being ripped out of its socket. Some more appeared as another circular platform rose out of the tea, some insidious ruin forming near them.

Alice shoved the Vorpal Blade towards me and jumped into the crowd of enemies. I sighed and landed near a dizzy Eyepot, stabbing it. I rushed towards some ruin monsters and cut out the baby doll masks, watching them disappear. We ran and jumped onto a small platform on a pipe, then jumped onto another ledge. I ran up to a valve and began to turn it while Alice shot an Eyepot with pepper. A steam vent rose up and she jumped into it, landing near the teapot enemy. I followed. Another Eyepot appeared and three insidious ruin appeared, so, I went after the ruin while Alice dealt with the teapots.

After killing the enemies, I walked up to an Eyepot eye and picked it up. "This thing is so cool, I have to have it for a necklace." Alice gave of a quiet snort of amusement. A metal door rose up and we walked into the room.

Tea poured down from the ceiling and we looked around, noticing the Cheshire Cat appearing on the platform next to the one we were on. "Brush yourselves off girls. The Hatter should see you at your best after all." he muttered, grinning, and disappeared. Alice rolled her eyes and jumped onto the platform, walking towards the pressure switch, stepping on it. I noticed out the corner of my eye a flat elevator travel down and she ran off it, jumping next to me and we stepped on the elevator just in time as it traveled up the wall. I looked around and noticed a hole in the wall with a metal walkway and she seemed to have saw it too because right as the elevator stopped, she jumped off and floated down onto the walkway. So, I did the same.

We walked into the room and I groaned loudly. "It's so fucking warm in here!" Alice chuckled and we jumped around the hot tea and onto a metal foothold. "Well what would you expect? Tea is supposed to be hot." I rolled my eyes at her and we jumped onto a metal walkway that had a circular hall. We ran down it and turned a corner, running into a slightly red room.

The nineteen year old girl walked up the ramp and stepped on the pressure switch, looking at me. "Brianna, you can go first but don't go anywhere when you get on the other side of the door." she instructed, giving me a stern look. I gulped and nodded, running past her and jumped onto the higher ramp in front of her, running into the tea room. Alice followed quickly after that. I walked up to a lever, pulling it. It shut off and I watched the door below us rise up.

We looked at each other and nodded, floating towards the new path. We ran down the hall and I yelped when I slipped, discovering that it was a slide. We slid down the hall and down a hole, landing in a small room with boxes and containers full of tea everywhere. A slight beeping sound could be heard and we looked at the ground, seeing the Clockwork Bomb. Alice picked it up and studied it. "How am I supposed to use this?"

I shrugged. "Toss it?" She rolled her eyes and tossed it onto some boxes, taking out a watch and pressed a button, the bomb exploding. She laughed and grinned. "That is so cool!" I nodded and smiled slightly and we ran up the ramp, jumping to the smaller one and she threw the Clockwork Bomb, detonating it. The weak metal broke and we walked into the slim hall, walking up the ramp and she did the same to another weak wall.

We entered a room and jumped onto a small platform, destroying two boxes. I yelped as I was flung into the air by a pink spring mushroom, landing in the entrance of the Lost and Found. Alice followed. We walked into the room, looking around. "Wow…" I muttered.

Something shiny caught my eye and I walked up to a small mound of garbage. I grabbed the metal object and pulled, the thing coming out easily. "What did you find Brianna?" Alice asked curiously and walked up to me. I studied the metal object, seeing how thick it was, and it opened automatically. "It….it looks like a metal Japanese fan." I replied quietly, jumping when it shut quickly. I growled in annoyance as I tried to open the weapon.

"Do you think that possibly you can't use it?" Alice asked, amused.

"Shut up!" I snapped, glaring at her. She chuckled and walked away, jumped onto the gears and landed next to the door, waiting for me. 'Maybe I can't use it because I already have a weapon…' I thought and looked at my metallic arm. "Are you coming?" she called. I looked at her and nodded, jumping and landing next to her.

Fire was behind the window and she opened the door, seeing nothing but darkness. I felt her grab my hand and walk into the room, closing the door behind us. I couldn't see a thing but I could feel Alice's hand in my real one. "Our lovely library was a fire trap. A conflagration waiting to happen!" she muttered. A few more minutes passed of walking through darkness until we reached another flaming door, opening it. I closed it and screamed when I turned, facing a whole shit load of insidious ruin going after Alice. Alice yelped when one knocked her off her feet and rammed into her side. She fell to the ground and quickly got up, screaming.

My eyes widened in horror as she turned pale white along with her dress, her hair black, half of her arms covered in blood and her eyes, like…all of her eyes blood red and some blood stains on the corners of her lips. I just witnessed Alice go into hysteria mode. 'Holy shit…' I thought as I watched the girl quickly stab every ruin monsters, ruin being splattered against the ground and garbage piles. When they were all defeated, she turned back to normal and waved for me to come over.

I nodded and hesitantly walked over to her. We walked towards a large hole in the ground and she noticed a switch on the wall in front of us. Alice took out the Pepper Grinder and aimed it at the switch, firing quick shots. The switch turned green and a foothold hung by some chains lowered. We jumped onto it and jumped towards the open room, floating.

Alice tensed up and grabbed my arm, pushing me into a corner. I froze as she leaned down, close to my face and gave me a very stern look, like a mother who just punished her child for breaking the living room window. "I'm only gonna say this once Brianna," she growled, looking me in the eye. "Stay here. I don't want the Hatter to harm you in any way. He still might be dangerous. Do you understand?" I nodded and she stood straight up again, walking away. 'But he doesn't even have his arms and legs Alice…' I thought.

Alice walked calmly towards the Hatter, ignoring his mumbles. Hatter had his eyes closed as he was talking nonsense. He must be a sleep talker. She rolled her eyes and picked up his head, grunting slightly at how heavy it was. "Hatter I recall leaving you in decrepit condition…but not in pieces." He opened his eyes in shock and looked at her. "Wha-what?! Oh…it's you!" he growled. "What's happened here? You've lost your hat! And some parts are missing!" Alice muttered and walked up to his body. "Missing indeed," Hatter murmured. "Though things being what they are. I barely miss they're missing! As to what's happened…you should know that better than I! It's your place after all I know my place!"

"When did you ever know your place?" she questioned as she put his head back onto his body, locking it in place. "Or how to keep it? Now what's going on?"

A loud sound rumbled through the room and Hatter screamed slightly. "That's going! And around, and up and down, in my ears, through my eyes, and up my nostrils, down my gullet and winding in my guts!" Alice gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes. "Papa was exceedingly fond of trains. I don't like them much."

"You won't like this one at all." Hatter uttered, looking up at her. "Nothing like when Mock Turtle was in charge of the Looking Glass Line. This railroad's a bloody shambles. This stink is ferocious, the light: blinding. The noise! Hellacious…"

"Ah quite Hatter, I get the idea. A bad train."

"The world is upside down Alice! Inmates run the asylum, no offense," he proclaimed in a whiney tone, being picked up by the gear in his back and held in the air. "And worst of all…I'm left tea-less!"

"Tragic." she murmured and looked up at him. "If I do help, will you help me in return?"

"Cross my heart, if I had one." he answered and there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "Find my limbs and toss them into the chute, machines will do the rest. Be on your way now that's a good girl! Hehe, best way out is through the Clock Face."

Alice rolled her eyes and ran towards a bulge in a wall and tossed a Clockwork Bomb at it, detonating it, same with another. Hatter's eyes got heavy and he lowered his head, snoring. She ran up to me and grabbed my arm, leading me towards a small room with a pressure pad in it. She set a bomb on it and grabbed my hand, running across the room quickly and into the other small room with an elevator in it. We stepped in the elevator and she detonated the bomb, making the elevator rise up.

Hatter opened his eyes quickly and looked around, seeing no one there.

As we neared the top of the elevator shaft I felt my heart race slightly. It stopped when we got to the top and we walked out, watching a blue ripped up umbrella float down towards the ground. Alice walked up to it and picked it up, looking at it. My eyes widened in horror and we heard a snarling sound. She quickly turned around, and immediately deflected a ball of fiery ruin. It hit the menacing ruin and its baby doll arms fell off. It growled and sent some hardened ruin at her. She dodged it and began to shoot it with the Pepper Grinder. It snarled as a doll face broke out of the ruin and she grinned.

Alice sprinted towards it and began to stab it with the Vorpal Blade. It snarled and swatted at her, sending her backwards. She grunted and began to shoot it again, removing another doll face. It snarled, becoming a red and black color and rushed at her. Her eyes widened and she screamed as she was ran over, blood spilling onto the ground. It picked her up by the neck and she struggled in its grasp, the ruin burning her flesh. I sprinted towards them and jumped into the air, jamming my metallic arm into the ruin behind the face and with all my might, pushed it out of the ruin with the arrow head weapon.

It yelped and melted into the ground, Alice falling into the ruin. She coughed loudly and some teeth and flowers appeared around us. I walked up to two flower petals and picked them up, walking back towards her. "Here, you need these." She smiled at me and touched them, making them disappear. I saw the wounds heal by themselves and she stood up, patting my head.


	4. Smelling and Regurgitating

We looked around, listening to Dormouse speak. _"__A workers paradise. Fight the good fight! Work until you expire! Substantial rewards in heaven. It is better to give labor than to receive pay for it! A workers paradise and you don't have to die. Not a cheap slogan, we really care." _Dormouse informed through a megaphone, echoing around us. _ "A workers paradise! Fight the good fight! Work until you expire! Substantial rewards in heaven. It is better to give labor than to receive pay for it. Words to live by, you can eat them too!"_

Two switches rose up on either side of us and she took out her Pepper Grinder, aiming it at the right one, then at the left one. When both were green, she smiled slightly and looked towards the left side. "Shall we go to the…Smelling and Regurgitating?" I frowned slightly and nodded, following her as she jumped and floated down towards the gear platform, and then onto the next with the curved stairs. We walked up them silently and she nudged my side.

"Brianna, are you okay?" she asked in a quiet tone. I looked up at her and nodded. We stopped near the teacup on wheels and she bowed slightly, holding her hand out. "Children can go first. Just make some room." I nodded slowly and hesitantly jumped into the teacup, Alice following. I yelped when it started to move and I held the edge tighter as we neared the edge of the tracks and rode down it. I swear to god it was gonna tip over and we would fall into the nothingness.

We neared the opening and it slowly stopped when we got inside the left side of the factory. We hopped out and looked around, noticing Cheshire appear (I'm just gonna call him Cheshire from now on). "Steps to enlightenment brighten the way, but the steps are steep. Take them one at a time." he murmured and disappeared.

I had a dumbfounded look on my face and noticed Alice walk up the stairs. I ran after her, making sure not to get my foot caught in the metal holes in the floor. _"__A good worker is a live worker, free to live and work. A bad worker is a dead worker and vice versa. Don't be a bad worker! Bad workers are slaves...and dead. Payday for good workers has been postponed indefinitely. Payday for bad workers is canceled!" _Dormouse informed and repeated it over and over.

We walked into a wide room, melted metal falling from the roof. She spotted the switch and shot it, making it go green. The platforms began to rise up and down and we jumped onto each one successfully. We got to the other side of the room and I walked up to the poster with March Hare and Dormouse on it. "Embrace Industry…Embrace Efficiency? Your new leaders…" I whispered.

Alice walked up to me, her arms crossed. "I would never have thought those two dimwits could run a domain together." I looked up at her and she made a motion with her head to 'come on'.

I followed her silently and jumped when the door shut behind us automatically.

She smirked and brought out the Vorpal Blade and jumped to the other platform in front of us, where an Eyepot woke up and ran towards her. I saw three insidious ruins form and another Eyepot appear and I did the dumbest thing ever, I went after the Eyepot.

I stabbed it repeatedly with my metal arm…weapon. All of the enemies were killed and we walked up to the edge of the platform. "Stay here." Alice muttered and jumped off the edge, landing on the platform below us and then into the room underneath me. She walked up to the lever and pulled it, shutting it off. I noticed some platforms rise from the metal and saw her hop onto one and float to the other one. Alice jumped onto the small walkway and jumped over the metal that spewed up, yelping when she saw an insidious ruin in front of her.

Right before it attacked, it yelped as its head was torn from the ruin and it disappeared. Alice looked at it then at me in shock, relaxing. "Thank you." I nodded and we jumped onto the rising platform, walking into the next large room. Insidious ruin and Eyespots' appeared and we nodded, rushing to kill them all. And thankfully, we didn't die.

Few seconds later…

We walked up to the valve and Alice turned the wheel. The metal cooled down and two Bolterfly nests dropped down, a menacing ruin forming on the platform below us. She gritted her teeth and grabbed my wrist, jumping off of the walkway we were on and jumped onto the hanging pot. "We don't have time to deal with these morons." she muttered as we jumped into the circular hallway, running quickly. The door opened and when we got past it, it shut quickly.

We ran down the hall and quickly turned a corner, quickly stopping. "Holy mother of fuck!" I shrieked and hid behind Alice. Cheshire appeared and he grinned, looking down at us. "Steady now, gather your nerves. Jump to the first vent, then the next, and ride the currents up." I watched him disappear and jumped when a loud whistle interrupted my thoughts. "Are you coming or not?" Alice called.

I nodded slightly, my legs trembling. I saw her easily get to the other parts and turn around to wait for me. I gulped and jumped into the steam, landing on the walkway on the circular tower in the middle of the room and jumped towards the next vent, landing on a ledge. Alice smirked and jumped into the steam of another steam vent and landed on a walkway, running. "Aren't you gonna wait for me?!" I shouted.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "You need to trust yourself sometime Brianna." I nodded slightly and followed, everytime I got close she ran quickly. Finally we…or, I made it to the top of the tower and saw her standing on a pressure pad, her arms crossed. "I'll race ya." she muttered and smirked. I grinned nodded. "You're on!"

She quickly set down a Clockwork Bomb and ran down the walkway with me by her side. It exploded just in time and the door closed, Cheshire appearing. "They say a cat has nine lives. I hope you two have as many." He then disappeared.

I walked up to a valve and turned the wheel, two vents appearing. I looked at her and she nodded. We jumped into the steam one after the other and landed on the moving gear, jumping into the steam again and landed on the big circular foothold.

Four Madcaps appeared along with an Eyepot and we decided that I take on the green beings while she kills the teapot enemy. I jumped behind one and ran my blade through its neck repeatedly. Blood sprayed the ground and it fell to the floor and I ran towards the others. Alice dodged the Eyepot's attack and shot it in the eye with the Pepper Grinder, stabbing it in the eye with the Vorpal Blade quickly.

When it was over, we looked at each other, all bloody. She laughed and jumped off the ledge, landing on the pink mushroom, and was flung back into the air, landing on the ledge that was near the opening of the hall. She waved me over and I nodded, doing the same. I landed next to her and she patted my back. "You're alright Brianna. If you weren't here, I'd be bored off my ass." I giggled and nodded, smiling. "Thanks." She just nodded and we walked into the hall, walking down the hallway, towards the opening of a very hot room.

Dormouse's ear twitched and he looked to his left in a hurry, looking straight at us. "Your presence here is unwelcome! We have a mission to complete, and you two are an intolerable annoyance! Some like it hot…but no one likes it this hot!" He then began to laugh psychotically.

Alice gritted her teeth in annoyance and she looked at me. "You go across those platforms and try and stop him. I'll get the enemies distracted." My jaw dropped and she jumped to the first platform, waving me over. I gulped and jumped to it just in time as it rose up. I quickly jumped to the next one as the device that had Hatter's arms on them passed us and jumped to the next one. It rose up and I jumped to the last one, forgetting one thing. The Pepper Grinder.

"Alice I forgot the Pepper Grinder!" I called, making her look at me furiously. "You what?!" Dormouse laughed and grinned. "What a stupid girl you brought with you!" Alice gritted her teeth together and jumped to each platform and shoved the weapon into my chest. She turned towards the mouse and listened as I shot the switch, making two platforms rise from the metal. I quickly jumped on them and jumped onto the pink mushroom, landing in the room above me. I stabbed two insidious ruins with my arm weapon and ran up to the valve, struggling to turn it.

Dormouse's ear twitched and his eyes widened in shock as the metal began to cool and it turned grey and he growled when the weak wall was destroyed, revealing me stand there, then he turned back towards Alice, moving the levers. "I've got the arms you need, well strictly speaking, the Hatter needs them. Well, it really doesn't matter. I'm going to crush you!"

I aimed at the switch underneath the walkway near Alice and shot it, making it turn green. A vent came out from under the walkway and she grinned, jumping into the steam, landing on the walkway. Dormouse leaned down towards the intercom. _"Take that then, the path less traveled is now impossible to negotiate! You can't reach me, no not at all!" _He laughed in triumph and I growled. "No,"

He stopped in shock. "But I can!" He turned towards me and screamed when I jumped towards him. He grabbed the lever farthest of him and yanked hard on it, making the object with the Hatter's arms on it hit me. I yelped when I hit the ground at full impact, gritting my teeth in pain. The mouse laughed and I got up to my knees. "You can't take me on you silly stupid bitch! Just give up alrea-" He stopped quickly when he heard a familiar noise.

Alice got the last switch to turn green and was already making her way up the stairs and into the small room with the valve in it. "No!" Dormouse screeched and looked at me. "You kept me preoccupied you little bitch!" I smirked and saw the metal cool. "A temporary setback! A minor hindrance! A trivial impediment! I'll just move along. I'll deal with you two bitches later! You'll never stop our grand plan!" Dormouse announced and he wheeled himself into the middle of the elevator and it rose up.

A steam vent rose up and I looked up as Alice poked her head out to look at me. "Are you alright?" I nodded slightly and she walked up to the lever, pulling it. Hatter's arms fell off the machine and fell into the rubbish chute. It took me about five minutes to reach the rubbish chute but I made it. She smiled at me and we nodded. She jumped into the chute first and I followed, the top closing.


	5. Cranking Up and Pressing Down

We slide down the rubbish chute and into the room where Hatter was. "Dexterity will make a nice change!" Hatter called, still being held up. "Expect no thanks till I'm completely reconstructed. No resting on laurels, chiffoniers, chaise lounges, mean folding chairs, stools…" We looked at him as he started to exhale and inhale deeply and Alice cocked an eyebrow. "Have you taken your medicine lately Hatter?"

"No not really." he replied. I watched her run up to each small room and break the weak walls. She walked into the room with the pressure pad on it and set a Clockwork Bomb on it. She ran out of there and ran towards me, grabbing my arm. Hatter heard a slight clicking noise and he looked down at us, the last thing he saw was my mechanical leg with the real paw on it, making him freak out. "What's that blithering hare doing here?!"

We ignored him and I frowned. "He saw me." Alice patted my shoulder. "Only your leg." I nodded slightly and the elevator stopped. We walked onto the glass and jumped to the right platform made of gears. "Now all we have to do is go to the Cranking Up and Pressing Down and we'll be good." she muttered and jumped to the next platform that lead to the teacup ride…thing. I felt my throat tighten and my heart race, knowing who ran this side.

I followed and Alice was the first to get in the teacup this time and I followed, almost feeling queasy. "Brianna are you alright?" she asked in concern and turned me around to face her. I looked away when she gasped and looked at me in concern. I was blushing a very dark red. "Do you have a cold?" Alice asked and placed the back of her hand on my forehead. We entered the room and I shivered. It's freaking cold here!" I muttered and crossed my arms.

We jumped out of the teacup and it rode backwards up the tracks. We looked around and Cheshire appeared. "The dimensions of this desolate tract are unknown to all but the inhabitants." he murmured and disappeared.

I looked around, my heart beating faster slightly. I had to get my act together. I followed Alice down the path and up the slightly curved stairs. She summoned the Pepper Grinder and aimed it at the switch, making it change green. A platform held by chains dropped down and we jumped onto that and floated towards the room. Alice walked up to a pen memory and touched it, seeing another switch and made it turn green. A gear traveled down a pipe and we jumped on it. I stumbled when it rose up and we jumped off, landing on the entrance to another room.

She saw the door far away and noticed a pressure pad. She jumped on the platform shaped like a hand and onto the small platform, standing on it. "Go on I'll catch up." she called. I nodded and quickly ran through the path, jumping onto the slowly spinning gears and Alice set down a bomb, running quickly. We made it to the next hand and when the fist rose up, she dodged her way through it. So, I did the same, almost getting crushed.

The nineteen year old walked up to the weak wall and blew it up, stepping on the pressure pad. I instantly ran and she set a bomb on it, running also. We jumped on the same moving gears and successfully got to the other side, running up the stairs and down the curved hall, dodging the fist. She then blew up another wall and set a bomb on the pressure pad and we ran up more stairs and jumped onto the same gears. I laughed as we ran alongside each other and made it past the door. An Eyepot spotted us and Alice easily killed it. We ran into another room and studied as what looked like metal feet clamped together and pulled away, doing the same thing over and over. Alice was the first to go and she made it and I followed, almost getting my arm crushed.

A pink mushroom spring appeared and she jumped on it, landing in another room. She ran down it and up some stairs, standing on a pressure pad. An insidious ruin appeared and it stabbed it repeatedly, Alice landing next to me. "Nice." she muttered and watched it disappear. I nodded my thanks and we walked into another room.

Alice stopped me before I went any farther and looked at the room in front of us. It was quiet…too quiet, and Alice didn't like it. "Stay here." she murmured and floated towards the room in front of us. "Alice don't go!" I called, a worried look on my face. She looked behind her shoulder at me. "I promise you I'll be all right." I nodded slowly and she ran into the room, insidious ruins following her.

I flinched with fright as I saw blood splatter and hit the ground combined with ruin, yelps and some sort of shrieks coming from the room. My heart raced as five minutes passed and I searched for her. "Alice?!" I called, trying not to scream. I watched in shock as she walked up to the edge of the walkway, her Vorpal Blade dripping with blood. She smirked and waved me over. I couldn't believe she was okay!

The door was open and she hugged my shoulder as we walked side by side into the room. "You remind me of a little sister. You're so worried all the time about me and no one ever worries about me. Why is that?" Alice asked as she looked down at me, another door opening. We walked into the Dodo Miserarium. "Because you're my best friend and I don't want you getting hurt." I replied and smiled at her. She smiled back and we jumped onto the cage that moved up and down, jumping to another, then to one that stayed still. She shot a switch and it turned green. Some vents rose up and we jumped into the steam, landing in a large cage and walked out onto a metal walkway.

Alice turned around and shot another switch, making it turn green. Two cages rotated below us and we jumped to each, landing on the entrance to the control room. That's when the queasy feeling came back again, my face getting hot slightly. The door opened and she walked in calmly, but looked over her shoulder, seeing me stand in a corner, facing the wall. 'How the fuck am I gonna go in there dressed like March Hare?! You just had to do this to me don't you Dunstan?!' I thought, having a fangirl attack. Yes, I am a March Hare fangirl because he sounds and looks so fucking awesome!

"Brianna?" Alice questioned and walked up to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. My heart pounded in my chest, my face bright red. "I'm fine Alice."

"Well you don't seem fine. What's going on?"

I shook my head and looked at her, smiling. "I'm alright I swear." She gave me a look that wasn't too happy and we both walked into the room and down the walkway, my legs trembling madly.

March Hare's nose twitched and he saw us. "Yer dogged persistence will be rewarded with pain! Ah' told you to cease and desist, but my warnin' goes unheeded! So without regret. Yer about to feel like a lobster who's been tossed into tha boiling pot!" He then grabbed a lever and jerked on it lightly, stopping when he heard a loud squeal. I covered my mouth quickly, my face bright red. Both Alice and March Hare gave me a look of "What the hell was that?!".

"Brianna…did you just squeal?" Alice questioned. I blushed darker and looked away. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She smirked and ran down the hall and turned a corner, running past the giant crusher just in time, towing me along. March Hare kept his eyes on me. "Ah swear to god that child's dressed like meh." He just shrugged and continued his work.

'That was embarrassing! Why the hell did I have to do that?!' I thought to myself as I watched Alice jump off the gear and land on the platform, walking up to the lever and pulled it, shutting it off. The hare laughed and grinned. "Aha! That's it! Ah can feel it surging! Faster mah fine feathered friends, don't stop now!"

Alice floated back towards me and noticed my legs shaking slightly. "Are you sure you're alright?" I nodded and smiled at her. "Never better." But on the inside, my heart was beating at what felt like 90 miles per hour. We ran down the walkway and turned a corner, jumping onto the area below the control panel, near the rubbish chute. March Hare looked down at us and jumped slightly when he just saw me standing there while Alice ran away, looking up at him with huge eyes. What?!" he snapped, letting go of the lever and looked down at me. I blushed and grinned like the stupid fangirl I was. "Hi!" I called and waved eagerly.

His nose twitched in annoyance and went back to his work. "Hey I'm fucking talking to you!" I snapped, making him glare at me and let go of the lever again. "What tha hell do ya want?!" March Hare snapped angrily. "Can I have a hug?" I asked curiously and held my arms out.

"No!"

"Can I give you a hug?"

No!"

"Are you sure you don't want a hug?"

"Yes Ah'm sure! Now scram ya little cocksucker!"

I blushed light pink and grinned mischievously. "Was that an invitation?" This time March Hare was the one to blush dark red. 'Why is this little brat dressed like meh and taunting meh?!' he thought. Alice looked over her shoulder and noticed that I was still under the control panel, talking to March Hare. I set my arms behind my back and smirked, deciding to have some fun with this guy. "Are you just made because you never got kissed?" March Hare blushed darker and slammed his hand down on the edge of the control panel. "Don't make meh come down there!"

"Please do!" I shouted.

"Yer not worried that ah might kick yer ass?" he questioned. I raised up my human hand and waved him forward. "Come at me bro!" March Hare growled and stayed put, knowing that the plan had to keep going. Alice stomped up to me and grabbed my ear, hauling me away. "Do you want to get killed Brianna?!" she snapped. "By him…yes." I replied.

We crossed the room and a shitload of enemies appeared. I went after the insidious ruins and Bolterflys while Alice dealt with the Menacing ruin and the Eyepot. After killing the enemies, the switch opened and Alice shot it, making it turn green. The door opened and Alice walked into the small space and up to the lever, turning it off.

An elevator hit the ground and March Hare growled angrily. "Don't yeh dare stop! Keep runnin' or so help meh I'll…I'll…I'll…!" I giggled at the tone of his voice and we walked into the elevator. It rose up and we stopped in front of a long walkway. We ran quickly after all of the fists hit the ground and turned a corner, dropping down into a room.

We shrank and ran under the stuck fist, getting back to normal size when we reached the opening. We jumped onto the rising and lowering fist and jumped onto a fist that was still, jumping to a platform with a lever on it. Alice pulled on it and turned it off. March Hare growled and looked around. "No, stop! That's enough now! Argh stop yer runnin' ye blithering idiots!" The gears stopped and he stood in the middle of the elevator. "Ye think that can stop us? The merest trifle. Ah'll be leavin' now. You'll never catch meh! Don't even try!" he finished and the elevator rose up and came back down, no one on it.

"Aw he left." I murmured in a sad tone. Alice rolled her eyes and we jumped over the fists, floating towards the ground. We ran down the walkway and jumped onto the one slightly lower than it and stopped on a hand, the hand rising up. We walked into the control panel and Alice turned the lever off. "Hey Alice look who I am." I giggled and pulled on a lever. Alice smirked and we watched Hatter's legs jump out of the gear and into the rubbish chute. I jumped in after Alice jumped in first.

We slid down the chute and into the room, Hatter snoring loudly. She directed me into the corner I hid in when we first met Hatter. She grunted and walked back. "Hatter!" The man jolted awake and looked down at her. "Oh Alice, it's just you."

"I found your parts Hatter."

"Good! Let's get started then."

He watched as two hands holding his arms locked them back in place on his shoulders. His arms dangled and he looked at them. He then watched as another hand holding his legs locked them back on his torso. He kicked his legs slightly and a hand placed his hat on his head, patting the top. "I finished my work and you're complete Hatter. Now, what about this damnable train?" Alice muttered as she looked up at him.

Hatter dropped to the ground and he stood up, smiling. "I feel like a new man!" he gloated. "Or whatever I am. I feel like an unsprung spring, like an uncorroded gear, like an untarnished bit of metal that sticks in your eye!" He then pointed at his eye. Alice rolled her eyes. "Answer me Hatter, I'm suffering. And changes here are a cause, or they're a reflection. Or the effect…what's going on? What're the new rules?"

A staff dropped down and Hatter caught it, observing it. "The law is just, just a whisper away. A way home to wonder, wonder who, who knows how to measure rules, with a ruler! Cruel rules." Alice brought her head back and gave him an odd look. "Idiot, I should've left you in bits."

A loud crash sounded and he looked behind her. I cursed under my breath and backed farther into the corner. "Who's there?!" Hatter snapped. Silence. "Come out now!" I hesitantly did, my legs shaking, and peered behind the corner. Alice looked at me and then at Hatter. I slowly and shakily made my way out from the corner, slowly walking towards the two. Hatter was much taller in person. I reached up to his knee, but somewhat higher.

I stopped next to Alice, staring up at the man, my legs slightly trembling. "A little girl?" Hatter questioned with a confused look on his face. "Hatter this is my friend, Brianna. She helped me get your missing parts back." Alice introduced and looked at me, urging me to shake his hand. I hesitated and I slowly put my real hand out. He smiled warmly at me and kneeled down in front of me. "Any friend of Alice is a friend of mine. Perhaps you and I could have some tea sometime to get to know each other better."

Instead of shaking my hand, he gently grabbed it and kissed the top of it, making me blush pink. "Oh my, your friend is quiet the charmer isn't he Alice?" I smiled and giggled as he kissed up and down my arm. Alice rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I would like it if you'd stop kissing my friend's arm." she growled and glared at us. Hatter blushed slightly and smiled at me. "Oh how can I when you have such a lovely little friend here?" I giggled and blushed darker, gently patting his hand with my weapon. "Oh stop it you."

Alice gagged slightly. 'Who could ever like the Hatter?' she thought. Hatter stood straight up and smiled down at me. So, I smiled back. "Come, the least you can do is help us discover what's going on Hatter." she informed and looked up at him. He looked at her and kneeled down in front of us and spun us around, placing his arm on our stomachs, holding us close to him, and jumped into the air, crashing through the glass. He landed on a gear and flung Alice onto his back, doing the same with me, and he continued to run, jumping off the gear. Wind ran through our hair as we plummeted towards another gear and I yelped when we hit the ground. I accidently hit my chest on the gear in his back. He chuckled and continued to run.


	6. The death of the Hatter

Alice and I stood on a gear, watching Hatter run into a room, the door closing behind him. I groaned and held my chest. "What's wrong Brianna?" Alice asked and looked at me. I chuckled and looked at her. "When we landed on that one gear when we were on his back my boob rammed into that gear sticking out of his back and now I'm in pain." She burst out laughing and jumped to the gears in front of us. "It's not funny! It hurts!" I shouted and jumped after her.

We landed on the walkway and we heard Dormouse speak. _"__Clear the platform! Cover your ears, hold your nose. Abandon false hope! Forget the past! The damage is done. Let the madness begin, resume the folly. All aboard." _Then March Hare began to speak and I squeaked slightly, getting Alice's attention. _"__Clear the platform! Cover your ears, hold your nose. Abandon false hope! Forget the past! The damage is done. Let the madness begin, resume the folly. All aboard." _he muttered and then silence.

We walked into the room and saw Hatter standing there, hitting his staff against his hand. "These clock bits will be our macadam, our road into Assemblage." he muttered and looked down at us as the door closed. "Courage Alice! I'll get this door open!" We watched him jump towards a small platform and waved for us to follow. Some insidious ruin appeared and before I could kill any, Alice rushed towards them and stabbed each quickly.

Hatter snapped his fingers together and frowned. "Now I remember what I forgot." He jumped back onto the platform we were fighting on and grabbed me by the stomach and jumped back onto the platform. "What the hell?!" I yelped. He laughed and held me close to his chest, jamming his staff into the wall.

Alice turned to look at us and dodged the menacing ruin's attacks. "I'm trying to think…but nothing happens. Ah, there now I've got it!" Hatter called and continued to jam his staff in the fall. I grunted and kicked my legs. Alice continued to dodge the ruin monsters attacks. "Oh yes I'm on a roll. It won't be long now!" he muttered making me giggle.

Once Alice was done killing the enemies, Hatter looked over his shoulder. "What I can't see." I murmured and tried to see. "What're you doing with Brianna?!" Alice snapped. He just ignored her. "I can't be cabobbled forever! We're in! Follow me!" I laughed as he jumped and ran through the door, still holding me. Alice growled and ran after us.

She walked down some stairs and the ground began to shake. "Th-this feels like an earthquake! What's happening?!"

"Do I really look like I know? Your judgment must be severely impaired." Hatter muttered, jamming his staff into a door. I squirmed in his grasp, the buckle on his wrist digging into my boob. "Alice help I'm being held against my will!" I shouted. She stared at us in shock and Hatter turned around. "I don't see a problem with just holding her."

"He won't put me down!" I called, laughing. Alice gave him a stern look. He froze slightly and set me down gently. I looked up at him and shrugged, walking towards Alice. He turned back towards the door and continued to hit it.

We jumped onto the pink mushroom spring and landed on a ledge and shrank to enter the same room. We jumped to the ledge in front of us and ran up a slanted walkway, Alice shooting a red switch, making it turn green. The wall became unblocked and we shrank again to get pass it. We had to shrink again and ran down a narrow tunnel, seeing a keyhole and ran through it. We entered a large room and dropped to the ground. She set a Clockwork Bomb on a weak spot in the floor and blew it up.

We dropped through the ground and Hatter looked at us through the hole in the wall, waving in a 'come' motion. Alice walked up to the lever and turned it off. The door opened and Hatter ran into the room, kicking the wall down. We ran towards the hole in the wall and entered an extremely large room.

The ground rumbled and we watched in shock as a train trudged its way on the tracks and soon disappeared from our sight. "We've found the source of the shaking, but are those two quaking? What are they up to?" Alice asked, standing next to Hatter. "You'll never stop us silly Hatter and Alice!" Dormouse called. "It's left! You're too late!"

Hatter gritted his teeth together and looked up into the air, raising both hands in the air. "The insolence, the arrogance, the execrable table manners. They are destroyers of Wonderland! Defilers, denuders, derangers…delightful…" He then started to cough. "Hatter stop you'll make yourself sick!" I muttered and poked his leg. "Did they actually create that infernal train to destroy Wonderland?"

"What does that matter? They deserve to die!" he growled and screamed when a hook picked him up by the gear in his back. "Aargh! Put me down this instant! I ought to-" Hatter screeched and hit me in the face accidentally with his staff. I yelped and held my forehead, making him look down at me in shock and he was towed down a rail. "So sorry sweetheart!" he called. My eye twitched and I pulled my head back. 'Sweetheart?'

"Enough talk! Battle time missy!" Dormouse shouted. We tensed up as some chains began to pull up something. We stood next to each other and saw a giant robot appear. "Abandon false hope! Forget the past! The damage is done!" Dormouse shouted and pointed at Alice. She growled in annoyance and tensed up, her Vorpal Blade ready. "Let the madness begin! Resume the folly." March Hare muttered.

I grinned when I heard his voice and the robot came closer towards us, stopping. "Hi Marchie!" I called and waved at him happily. The hare blushed and slammed his hand on his face, groaning slightly. "How does she know my name?" Dormouse chuckled and looked to his left. "Looks like you have an admirer March Hare." March Hare blushed darker and we tensed up when the right arm raised.

Just as it was about to bring it down on us, a giant teapot crashed onto its head and its arms fell off. "Ah, oh no!" Dormouse yelped and wheeled backwards slightly. March Hare grunted and they were pushed out of the robot, hitting the ground hard. On the wiki, it's said that they died. Now I'm just guessing it was from spinal fracture because there's no way that teapot could kill them. Hatter dropped down to the ground and stood up.

"Nooo! My precious domain! And the guests, all I really wanted was another tea party!" he whined and knelt down by March Hare and Dormouse's side. I actually felt sorry for him as I peered out from behind Alice. "Please Hatter, you promised. Where is that train going? What's its purpose? Tell me now." Alice begged as she looked at him. He looked over his shoulder at us while holding a teacup. "There's no time for whatever it is you want to talk about! It's time for tea! Talk trains with Turtle he ran the Looking Glass Line." He then cleared his throat and looked down at the two. "Come on you lads! We can still be friends. I've got a fine Darjeeling. Drink! Drink!"

"My memories are shattered. I'm trying to collect the pieces and I now believe the train impedes us. You must help us, you promised!" she whined and gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"Ask the one who helps them what helps themselves…whoever that is." Hatter snapped and glared at her. The roof creaked and he quickly covered the two animals, being crushed by the falling pieces of his domain. "Hatter!" I screamed and clenched Alice's dress tighter. "Very pithy," Alice muttered and held me close. "He deserved to die. And we're about to drown in tea…and ignorance."

I looked in horror as tea flooded quickly and it was pretty fucking hot. I yelped as it flooded over us and it felt like my face was being burned off. Then I blacked out.


	7. An icy place

"Caught me very own river nymph." a man muttered as he looked at another. "Saints be praised! He works in mysterious ways, eh, got plans for her?" the other man asked as he looked at him. Alice opened her eyes and sat up, coughing up water. "Hatter…" she whimpered through coughs. "Take her over to the Mangled Mermaid, rent a bed. Throw the brat back into the ocean." he replied. "Hard to woo a gal midst a brawl." the other murmured.

She looked around and up at them. "What do you think you're doing?!" Alice snapped and stood up, picking me up gently. "What comes natural like?" the first man grinned. "Not natural to me! Get away!" she growled and pushed him out of the way and began to walk down the dock.

A white cat stood there and ran away, meowing. "The white cat reminds me of my Snowdrop, Nanny knew her." she muttered. I groaned slightly and opened my eyes, looking up at her. "Alice?" Alice looked down at me and stopped, setting me on an ice box. "Don't worry Brianna. Are you alright?" I nodded slowly and rubbed my eyes. "My eyes burn though." She nodded and looked around. The soft pitter patter of rain almost made me want to sleep.

"Let's go find us some shelter shall we?" Alice suggested after a few seconds. I nodded and stood up, following her up the stairs. We walked around a corner, being quiet as a man passed us and walked through a doorway. We followed him and walked down the stairs. I looked around, straining to see as water drops hit my eyes.

We walked up some stairs and some men looked at us, grinning. "Tart with some rough edges likes everything rough, I'll wager." a skinny man cooed. I looked up at Alice and she frowned slightly. "A handsome offer, but…I've got an appointment, with another man."

"Well girl, how hard you want to make this?" he growled.

"You should know the doctor says I've a terrible disease." she muttered menacingly. They gave her a disgusted look and she walked away quickly, dragging me along. "Alice that was awesome!" I whispered. She smirked and stopped when we turned a corner.

"Where's me money you fucking spank bucket?!" Nanny snapped as she looked out of the window, glaring at the man. "Get those fat-arsed whores out on the street or I'll come up and brain ya!" Jack Splatter snapped back. She gritted her teeth and raised her upper lip slightly. "Sod off you cockersnipe! You'll never get passed Long Tim."

"I'll get what you and your floozies owe me Miss ladybird! See if I don't." Jack growled and ran away. "Maybe ya noticed I'm not pissin' me drawers at the prospect." Alice walked up to the building and looked up at her nanny. "Alice Liddell!" Nanny called in shock. "You'll make a nice change. Bring your dishevelled self up here!" We watched her pull her head back into the room and I walked up to her. "What was that all about?" I questioned. She just shrugged and we walked around the building and through the open door.

We walked through another door and into the open room, tables everywhere and a bar along the wall. I walked hesitantly in front of Alice and glass smashed. A man was beating up another man near the corner and people gathered around to watch. Blood hit the wall and Alice quickly covered my eyes, hurrying me up the stairs. "We need to move quicker or else we might end up being hurt." she muttered and looked over her shoulder in shock. "I can't see." I murmured.

She set her hands near her side and we looked around, being on the top floor. I noticed a room open and grabbed her wrist gently, leading her slowly and silently towards the room. "You won't give me what I want I'll burn this dump of yours down to the ground." Jack growled as he loomed over Nanny, glaring angrily at her. 'How did he get back in here?!' I thought in shock. Alice pushed me behind her. "Go away! She's done no harm!"

He turned around in shock and I watched in horror as he slowly walked towards us. "She hurt me feelings." He then swatted at a lamp, making it fall onto the ground and shatter. Fire lit up the rug and Alice looked at it in shock. Jack punched her in the face and I watched in shock as she fell to the ground. "Alice!" I shouted and he punched me in the jaw, knocking out some of my teeth. I blacked out right before I hit the ground. He walked out of the room quickly.

Alice and I plummeted towards the icy ground, fire and smoke surrounding us. We stopped and floated towards the ground gently. The ground sizzled as our feet touched the ice and Alice held her head, looking around. "My jaw hurts." I murmured, rubbing it. "Who was that guy?" She looked at me and sighed. "Jack Splatter." I nodded slowly and walked around, wearing my Wonderland dress, same with Alice.

I walked towards the slanted walkway and yelped as I lost traction in my feet. "Brianna!" Alice screamed. She ran across the flat walkway as fast as she could, stopping when she reached the edge. I laughed, sliding down the ice slide, and floated towards the platform far below her. "Hi Alice!" I called, waving. She stared at me in shock and jumped down, landing gently next to me. Before I could say anything, Alice slapped me across the face.

I stumbled slightly as I looked away, clearly shock. She grabbed my arms and shook me slightly, making me face her. "Don't you ever fucking do that again do you hear me?!" she shouted. I'm the type of person who usually…doesn't take being yelled at lightly. Tears formed in my eyes as I saw how angry she was and I looked away. She saw the tears roll down my cheeks and loosened her grip. "Alice…I'm sorry." I whimpered, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Alice frowned, feeling guilty, and placed her hand under my chin, facing me towards her. "Please don't cry Brianna. I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just…you're my only friend and I don't want you getting hurt, or even killed!" She pulled a handkerchief out of one of the pockets on her apron and handed it to me. I took it and told her my thanks. I wiped my eyes and she smiled at me sweetly.

After getting my act together, I handed the handkerchief back to her and sighed. Alice rubbed my back and nodded at me. I nodded back and we went back on our mission. We walked around a corner and stopped when a Menacing ruin appeared, along with four insidious ruins. I decided that since I gave her a scare, I'd take on the hardest enemy. The Menacing ruin pulled out a ball of flaming ruin and threw it at me. I yelped and Alice ran in front of me, quickly unfolding her umbrella to block the attack. It yelped as its arms broke off, exposing its three faces. I summoned the Japanese fan I got and to my surprise it opened and stayed opened. We ran to dodge the ruin monsters ramming attack and she went back to the insidious ruins. It was time for me to finally test this thing out!

'Hatter better not have made this thing and have it be a dud.' I thought and pulled my right arm to my left side and quickly threw the fan. It zoomed through the air and the ruin monster yelped as it scratched it across the face, tearing it out. I laughed in surprised and caught it hesitantly, repeating it a second time. The second face ripped out and it howled and screeched in pain, turning bright orange.

It ran quickly towards me and Alice tackled me to the ground, turning around quickly and threw the Vorpal Blade at the Menacing ruin. It plunged into its face and it shattered. It yelped and melted into the ground. The metal fan closed and I stood up, dusting myself off.

Yeti rose up in the giant hole and began to blow, sending heavy winds in front of it. I looked at her and she just smiled. "Thank you Alice." I muttered. She just shrugged and nodded. "No, thank you. That was the quickest battle ever." I nodded and we ran behind the ice chunks on the walkway. The ground wasn't slippery but then again it didn't have that much traction. One after the other, we jumped onto the pink mushroom spring and landed on the ledge above us. I coughed and waved my hand in front of my nose. "Phew Yeti, your breath is rank."

Alice looked at me in confusion. "Rank?" I nodded. "Rank, usually meaning gross, smelly, awful, etc." She nodded slowly as well and jumped through the winds after it breathed out. I watched carefully and jumped at the last minute, almost getting knocked off my feet. "See, that wasn't so bad Brianna." she smirked and we dropped down from a ledge and walked up to a tunnel, an ice slide below us. "I should let you go first." I murmured hesitantly and yelped when she grabbed my hand and ran into the room, sliding down with me in tow.

I saw a room with red and white checkered flooring and we dropped down to the ground. I winced when a pain shot up my feet after hitting the ground and ran around the room. "What're you doing?" Alice asked as she giggled. I continued to run and slowed down. "Running off the pain." I replied and finally stopped. Alice smirked as she walked up the slanted walkway and picked up the Hobby Horse, doing a few tests on it seeing if it was powerful. I jumped when the ground cracked and an Ice Snark appeared, snarling. Before I could do anything, Alice rushed towards it and smashed it repeatedly with the weapon, blood splattering against the ground. Three more appeared and she did the same with them.

Three large ice cycles dropped from the roof and landed in the ground. She smirked and jumped onto each one, getting to the ledge before I could. We looked around and I noticed a pink mushroom spring below another large ledge. "Alice, over there." I muttered as I yanked gently on her dress. She looked at it and nodded, going up first, and I followed. We dropped down to the ground and looked around as a bunch of insidious and Ice Snarks appeared. I went after the ruin enemies while Alice dealt with the Snark enemies. It wasn't easy but we managed to kill all of them without getting seriously hurt.

Some ice or whatever it is disappeared into the ground, allowing the door to be open and we walked through it into another room. The nineteen year old walked up to a breakable surface with the Hobby Horse logo on it and smashed it, dropping into an large open space. I followed and looked around in amazement. "This place it pretty beautiful." I whispered. I heard a whistle and turned around just as Alice waved and jumped onto the blue mushroom, being flung high up into the air. "Wait!" I shouted and did the same.

(Then we slid down another ice slide, avoiding the small ruin pools)

We dropped down to the ground and walked into another room. A menacing ruin appeared, along with two Ice Snarks. I did my best to kill the Snarks (which I successfully did) and the ruin monster yelped and melted into the ground. The door became unblocked and we ran through it and dropped down to the ground. "What's that?" I asked as I walked up to the shell. "Must be a Radula Room. You stay out here and I'll go investigate." Alice replied and ran into the shell opening.

(In the Radula Room)

Alice walked through the water and stopped when Cheshire appeared. "Alice I know your fondness of all manner of puzzles." he muttered and grinned. "How is the Queen of Hearts like a typhoon?" She thought about the question for a moment and got an idea. "In all ways, but the typhoon doesn't mean to be." He smirked and nodded. "Right-o." She watched him disappear and a vile of red paint appeared and she grabbed it.

Alice walked back out and smiled at me. "It was only a trivia question." I nodded and we ran towards the pink spring, being flung into the air. I saw a ship in a bottle very far away and she frowned slightly. "So there's the Mock Turtle." I looked at her and slightly nodded. We dropped down to the last icy platform and twirled onto the slanted path and slid down the slanted path in front of it, landing on another platform, a pink mushroom appearing. She jumped on it first and I followed, landing behind her, seeing that she killed an Ice Snark.

"You can go first." she muttered and allowed me to go past. I hesitated and shrunk, seeing the lavender paths. I grew back to normal size, moving quickly past them and got to the other icy platform in front of us. Alice followed close behind and made it successfully, smiling at me. We ran around the curved walkway and down the short ice slide, a metal and wood like shark jumping from out of the water before we hit the ice.

We ran up to the pink mushroom spring and was launched onto the tall walkway above us. We ran down the path and dropped down to the lowest platform below us. "That's a big fucking ship in a bottle." I whispered in surprise. Alice smirked and jumped onto the three flat ice bergs quickly, making it to each before they sank. "Come on Brianna. If I made it, I know you can." she called and waved me over, smiling. That gave me some courage and confidence and I jumped onto each, my foot splashing the icy cold water at the last second. She grabbed my arm just before I fell back first into the water and pulled me onto the walkway. I sighed in relief and told her my thanks and we walked towards the large ship in the bottle. The Mock Turtle waved and smiled.

Alice climbed through the large crack and pulled me through with ease, being gentle, and we flinched when a shark slammed its head into the glass, snarling. "You better come aboard. We're doomed of course." the Mock Turtle informed and frowned. We looked at him in concern. "What? There's no hope then?" Alice asked. "Oh there's an infinite amount of hope, but none for us. Now get up here!" he replied quickly. I yelped as I was picked up and carried onto the ship in a hurry. She set me down behind her and she stood near the turtle like cow near the edge.

More sharks appeared and rammed themselves into the glass, one stuck in the crack. 'What a derp.' I thought and chuckled. "Confounded beasts, they want my ship!" Mock Turtle yelped in horror, pressing his fins against his face. "I think you're more to their taste." Alice muttered as she looked at him. He looked at her in disgust. "Never! We're almost relatives!"

"You're related to soup, Admiral."

He then got an idea. "I've an idea! We'll leave this mayhem and go to Carpenter's show! It's better than a gaff. Carpenter promises what we don't take seriously can't harm us!" We looked at him in concern and the nineteen year old let out a quiet gasp. "Best dive now Admiral, or the sharks will have us for lunch." The bottle began to crack as the sharks continued to ram themselves into the glass.

I flinched slightly when I felt a hand grip my arm and I looked at Alice. She just looked up. The bottle cracked in half and fell into the water, the ship being pushed into the water. The ship rocked unsteadily and she pulled me closer, putting me in front of her and set her hands on the edge outside of mine. "Whatever you do don't let go do you hear me?" Alice whispered into my ear. I nodded and watched in horror as we neared the edge of a waterfall. The ship went over the edge and my throat tightened, my voice stuck. She let out a short shriek of horror and we plunged into the water.

(Then we fired missiles at some oncoming sharks and crabs that shot cannons, avoiding bombs.)

**I'm so very sorry the chapter took so long! My connection is shitting on me and I'm having a hard time trying to stay connected. Please forgive me! It does connect but only for a limited amount of time.**


	8. The Carpenter and his three requests

The ship was destroyed completely from impact to the ground, wood lying everywhere. The Mock Turtle sat in a corner crying. Alice opened her eyes and sat up slowly. "Ow," She looked at me and gently patted my leg. My eyes flinched and they opened slowly. "Wake up Brianna." I groaned loudly at the request and sat up. She stood up and pulled me up gently, dusting herself off. "My body aches all over. We submerged too quickly." she finished.

"My ship's a wreck and I am too." Mock Turtle sniffed and looked at her. We walked up to him and stood in front of him. "Admirals go down with their ships. In any case I never knew you for a sailor. If memory serves you were station-master of the Looking Glass Line." He looked away and grunted, tears staining his cheeks. "Hmph, sacked from the railroad without the option. "Redundant", the nitwits said. Never a holiday, loyal as a bulldog. "Going in a different direction" my aunt Fanny, if I had one. Going off the rails more like! Bloody disaster. Now I'm shipless. The old railroad's dead and this new thing's a monstrosity. It never runs on time and the engineers are asleep at the switch. What I don't know about it can't hurt me! Say no more. Nod's as good as a wink!"

He stopped and sighed, looking down at us. "Change the subject. We avoid speaking about the thing whose name should not be spoken." Alice looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Hearing something useful about this new train would make for a change." He looked at her and looked away. "You don't respect the suffering of others. Go ask your questions and smart remarks to Caterpillar!" She frowned and walked slightly closer to him. "I'm sorry Admiral really." I looked at them both and sighed. "Can you please tell us what you know about the train?" I asked.

"I'll just say we've escaped a contaminating corruption. Count yourselves lucky to be down here." he replied.

"But I don't want to escape!" Alice informed. "I want to stop it! I must stop it to save myself and Wonderland too!"

"Nonsense, speak more nonsense. Diversions rule the day, the show must go on…and so on. Speaking of shows…" Mock Turtle went on. Alice gave him an odd look. "We weren't."

"Yes well, never mind. Here's a ticket for the show Carpenter's mounting. Use it." He handed her a ticket that had the word 'Totentaz' on it. She grabbed it and watched him turn around and start crying again. I just now noticed that she was wearing the Siren dress and mine was different too!

It was a very light blue with purple shaded from the middle of the bottom all the way up to the beginning of my chest, the shoulders were still puffy but it had long sleeves with white ruffles on the end of both sleeves, a white apron without the top (like on Alice's normal dress) with a grey strap, and black sandals with a green strap across my foot, and no leggings on what so ever. What confused me is that I had seaweed protruding from both of my calf muscles. Two on each calf in fact. I looked at my arms and noticed that there was one piece of seaweed protruding from my wrists and I looked over my shoulder, one protruding from each shoulder blade and three large ones going down my spine.

Alice walked up to me and smirked. "Well look who's the queen of the seaweed! Nice outfit." I blushed light red and she pulled on my hair gently. "You even have longer hair!" I noticed my brown hair flow and I was in awe. It was pulled into pig tails and tied with…you guessed it…seaweed. "We should be leaving now." I muttered. She nodded and we walked down the path, looking at the destroyed remains of the Mock Turtles ship. We walked through the small stone path and into the open and I just realized something: we're under fucking water.

My legs instantly felt like jelly and I stumbled back and I hit the wall, freezing in horror. Alice cocked an eyebrow. "Brianna, what're you doing?" My heart raced and I looked at her. "I…can't swim and I really hate being in the water, especially if it's in a lake or ocean. Even a pond!" I replied, fear in my eyes. She grew silent and walked towards me. "Well, I can't really laugh at that cause that is a serious situation." I nodded slowly and she placed her hands on my shoulders. "If you ever get scared just remember that I'll always be right behind you or in front of you waiting patiently. I can understand why you're uneasy." I smiled at her and she pulled away and grabbed my hand gently, her skin soft.

"I'll allow you to hold my hand for a little bit but after you get comfortable, you'll need to deal with this fear on your own." I nodded and we jumped over the red jellyfish and onto the rocky ledge. She smashed the white foam barrier that blocked the hole/door. She allowed me to jump into the steam…air bubble whatever the hell it was (I'm still gonna call it a steam vent) and float to the rocky cliff, Alice landing next to me. She shot the Ice Snark quickly and killed it.

We jumped onto the two white jellyfish one after the other and she let me jump into the steam first. "I'll meet you on the other side!" Alice called and smiled. I gulped and closed my eyes tight, moving forward and doing two twirls. She laughed happily and followed. "Brianna you made it!" I opened my eyes and looked around. Sure enough, I did make it. I sighed and she destroyed another white wall, its remains floating around. She grabbed my hand and walked through the path covered and surrounded by walls of rocks.

We reached a clearing and saw another Liddell door in front of us, a ray of light shining on it. "After this you need to face your fears." Alice murmured and we walked up to the door. "Okay…" I whispered disappointingly. She opened the door and let me go first, closing the door behind her, the room pitch black. "I was the last one in the library the night of the fire." she muttered to herself. "The log I added to the grate was dead when I went upstairs to bed with Dynah. If it wasn't, I may be responsible for my family's deaths!"

We got to the end and walked out of the door, Alice closing it behind her. We jumped to the white jellyfish below us and then to the blue jellyfish spring, landing on the sandy platform with rocks standing up. A ghost appeared and bombs appeared in his hands. He laughed and threw them at us. Alice shot the last bomb before he threw it. He screamed and dropped to the ground. She smashed the Hobby Horse on his body and killed (again) him with a single blow from the Vorpal Blade after.

Alice stood on a pressure pad and a switch rose up in a divers helmet. She shot it and two wooden footholds rose up. We made it to the other side and we ran through the path surrounded by rocks. We soon reached a hole with wood built to make it look like a doorway. A sign above the doorway read 'Barrelbottom'. Cheshire appeared on a ship part near it and looked down at us, grinning. "What lies beneath this patina of civility? Something wicked I'll wager." he muttered and disappeared. We looked at each other and shrugged, walking into Barrelbottom. I shuddered as a fish woman watched us. Alice shot a pig snout and a basket appeared in front of a statue in front of us. "Who's that?" I asked, pretending I didn't know. She destroyed it and gathered the golden teeth. "The Carpenter." I nodded and I noticed more fish people watch us.

"Don't make eye contact." Alice whispered into my ear and put her hand around my shoulder, leading me up some stairs and around a home and towards a white breakable surface in the floor. We dropped to the ground and I watched her walk up to another Radula room. "I'll be back soon. Don't leave." Alice muttered and ran into the opening in the shell.

(In the Radula room)

"There's no time to waste! There's no time at all!" the White Rabbit demanded and pointed at her. (It was a combat room and she had to fight off hoards of Mad Caps) She was done killing them all and walked up to the large rabbit. "Come Alice, don't dawdle." he muttered and pointed at her again. "You've already missed the train!" A paint jar appeared and she grabbed it.

I watched her walk out and smiled at her. "That was pretty tough. But I managed." Alice murmured and we walked up the stairs. I did what she told me and ignored the gazes from the fish people. I walked up to a sign and read it out loud. "Dreary Lane Theater. It must be that way." She nodded and we walked down the stairs. We floated to the home on the large platform below us and I yelped when something sharp embedded into the wood next to my feet.

Matthew chuckled in amusement and retracted his scythe. "Hello baby sister." I tensed up in shock as he just sat there with his hands in his lap and his legs spread open. His mask never moved but his hair swayed in the water. "What've you two dumb sluts been up to?" he asked, a sly tone in his voice. I gritted my teeth in annoyance and Alice summoned the Vorpal Blade. "Shut up fucker." Matthew raised his eyebrows under the mask and laughed hysterically, the mouth on the mask opening and closing.

I shuddered and tensed up when he dropped to the ground, standing up straight. "What do you think baby sister? My new body is different isn't it?" he cooed and walked closer towards us. I growled slightly and backed up. Alice ran towards him, her weapon in the air. He grinned and grabbed her neck quickly, raising her in the air. She gagged and coughed, kicking her legs frantically and dropped the Vorpal Blade on accident. "Alice!" I yelped and stopped when he raised his hand in front of my face, the metal claws making sharp clicking noises as he ran his fingers together. "Isn't this so neat?" Matthew asked.

I pulled my head back and tensed up more as he ran his pointer finger along my cheek. He chuckled, holding Alice tighter in his grasp. I blushed light pink as his hand cupped my cheek. The arms protruding from his back lowered. Matthew leaned in and I blushed darker slightly. "Kill me please." I looked at him in confusion and before I could reply he set a finger on my lips. "He's listening and won't let me go. I'm in agony every second!" he continued to whisper into my ear, being silent as ever. "There's string running through my body and it's controlling me! I'm not in control of my own body!" I nodded slightly. "Then how can you talk?" Matthew pulled me closer and I could hear him…crying in what sounded like pain and sadness. "I can control my emotions. Just not my actions." I nodded again and blushed crimson red when I felt a hand stroke my butt. He ran his hand up my dress, grabbing my thigh. "Why aren't you wearing tights?" he cooed and released Alice.

She yelped when she hit the floor and rolled over to her stomach, struggling to breathe. Matthew picked me up and slammed me against the home. "W-what the hell are you doing?!" He growled angrily and glared at me. "Shut up bitch!" I froze in horror at the tone and sound of his voice. It wasn't his! He never sounded like that and didn't when he talked to me before. Two glowing red dots could be seen in the pitch black voids of the masks eye holes. Alice continued to cough, blood dripping down her neck from his metal fingers slicing her skin open and watched us, grabbing the Vorpal Blade.

I screamed at the top of my lungs (probably getting some fish folk's attention) as he licked the side of my face. His tongue was made of ruin and it almost reminded me of the…Dollmaker boss (but it didn't have doll heads in it)…no…that isn't possible! Is this what he was talking about?! Alice darted up and plunged the knife into his back. Matthew screeched in pain and pulled away, ruin left on my cheek, and he swatted her away, howling with rage. "You little twat!" he snarled once he finally got the weapon out of his back and the ruin arms rose up, scythe in hand. "You'll fucking pay for what you've done!"

He disappeared into the ground and a Drifting Ruin floated down and showed its face for a split second and went back to the ball of floating ruin. She summoned the Pepper Grinder and shot the enemy when it exposed its face. It yelped and landed on the ground, growling and squirming around. She slammed the Hobby Horse against it and it exploded. The ruin on my cheek began to burn and I yelped, quickly wiping it off with my dress, noticing scratch marks on my thigh. 'Damn you Matthew.' I thought and growled.

Four more floated around us and she killed them all. She walked up to me and kneeled down. "Are you okay?" I nodded slowly, unsure if I was. "When we see him again, I promise I'll kill him." Alice muttered and helped me up. We jumped onto a white jellyfish and floated onto another wooden platform. I saw the blue spring and jumped onto it before she could. Alice watched in concern as I reached the rocky ledge and walked through the hole. She did the same and reached it as well.

I sat against a rocky wall, crying silently. "Brianna, are you okay? And answer me honestly this time." she asked sternly and kneeled down next to me. I sighed and shook my head. "No okay. I'm not alright. I'm scared Alice. I want my brother to be normal like he was." She frowned and wiped her handkerchief on my eyes. "Please stop crying. Maybe after we defeat him, he might become normal again." I nodded slowly and stood up, wiping my nose. "Besides, there's Dreary Lane."

Alice jumped to each jellyfish first and made it to the walkway where a ghost appeared. I watched silently as she killed him, standing on a jellyfish top. She walked up to a pressure pad and placed a Clockwork Bomb on it, a switch rising up.

Matthew stormed up the stairs of the Dollmaker's lair, pissed. The Dollmaker noticed him and crossed his arms. "You mother fucking bastard! Look what you done to my sister! What the hell's wrong with you?!" Matthew snapped angrily. A Dollgirl watched silently in curiosity, getting her arm fixed. "I trusted that you'd kill them by know. Reaper you didn't obey my orders." the Dollmaker replied calmly and reached down towards him. He growled as his hand got nearer and sliced off his ring finger. He grunted and gritted his teeth, grabbing the boy. Matthew yelped and squirmed in his grasp, the mouth to his mask opening and closing. "Let go!"

The Dollgirl stood up in concern but was gently pushed back down by the head. "He's just having a temper tantrum." the Dollmaker chuckled and looked at his creation. He grunted and squirmed even harder. "I'll show you a temper tantrum!" The disfigured man raised his eyebrows in amusement and pet him on the head with his finger. "Don't be such a pain Reaper. I didn't do anything to your sister. YOU did."

"Because you fucking took control over me!"

A Colossal Ruin appeared and the Dollmaker handed it the struggling boy. It grabbed him gently in its arms, pressing him against the ruin to warm him. "Listen to me boy," he muttered and grabbed Matthew's head with his thumb and pointer finger. "Just get some rest and let that wound heal. I don't need you right now." Matthew was silent and grunted when the man poked his nose with his pinkish red nail.

We walked into the theater and into the room where the stage was, a walrus sleeping lazily on the far left. The Carpenter walked out onto the stage and noticed us out the corner of his eye, turning to face us. "Ah Alice! Delighted to see you again my dear, your arrival is filled with fortune-ality itself!" Alice looked at him in confusion. "Really? I…didn't even know…" He hushed her by raising his hands. "Never mind. My pregnant show (Walrus is pregnant?) is about to pop! It requires only a medicament of your helpful-osity. She smirked and looked up at him. "I don't have much experience…but I do need to reconstruct my…" He looked down at her and hopped down onto the ground, the ground cracking loudly.

"We can barter. I have screw-driver, nearly new, or a nice hammer if you're more interested in…" Carpenter muttered but stopped when I spoke up. "There's a train destroying Wonderland. And we're looking for help to slow it down or destroy it." He looked at me in surprise. "I've never seen you before. What's your name?" I looked at him in shock and itched my arm. "Brianna, sir." I hesitantly held my hand out and he smiled, taking it in his hand (which was bigger, way bigger, than mine). "Brianna…what a beautiful name." he smiled.

I blushed when he kissed the top of my hand, his lips softer than they looked. Alice placed her hand on her face and groaned. "He's also quite the charmer isn't he." I giggled. He smirked and kissed my arm up and down. She had enough and pulled me away from him. "Are you willing to help us with this train?" Carpenter stood up and put his finger up to his lip.

"Most vexatatious no doubt. We'll address that…ah, monstrosity directly, that's to say, eventually. Now, let's intermediate more important matters." He then began to walk around. "Due to a logisterical foul-up, some of the show's requisites need to be gathered. The munificent script needs fetching. The writer's overly imaginative and exploring several endings. Then you'll need to assemble the show's tune-deaft music. And finally gather our stars! The show's tasty, nay tasteful performers. You two should leave now. The essentiality of haste is essential."

"It hardly seems you're ready for the show." Alice observed. "Why can't you assemble these things yourself?" The Carpenter looked at her in shock. "An impresario has arrangements, ducks in a row, fish to fry, coals to Newcastle etcetera etcetera. Fetch the script from the writer, then we can batter or clatter or natter as the case may be."

"Is the writer cantankerous?"

"To a personage of your distinguished repudiation? I blush at the notionality. He's an octopus, by the by. Lives over that way. Tata!" Carpenter replied and waved, winking at me, and walked away to inspect the place. Alice rolled her eyes in annoyance and she grabbed my arm, walking out of the room. "He seems friendly." I observed and we walked through the doors to the left, walking up the stairs, Cheshire appearing. "You're sufficiently fortified to kick some a-" He hesitated. "To boot these creatures' nether regions." He then disappeared and we went on our way.

We dropped into the open and tensed up when we heard snarling. A Cannon Crab walked out of a hole, a cigar in its mouth. It sent a cannon at us and Alice deflected it with her umbrella. She hit it with a newer version of the Hobby Horse (red), tearing off its cannon. She then knocked it onto its back and stabbed it repeatedly with the Vorpal Blade. Two more appeared and she did the same thing.

Something blocking two switches rose up and she shot both of them. Tiki heads rose out of the ground and we jumped onto each, making our way towards this large fish with its mouth open. I hesitated and we walked into the open mouth, seeing nothing but darkness.


	9. Getting the three requests done

**I'm so sorry for the long wait! I promise when this is uploaded I'll immediately make the next chapter and post that up too so you all have two chapters to read.**

We walked out of the other side of the fish mouth (which was another fish mouth) and I looked at the red octopus just standing (or what seemed like standing) there. He looked at us and raised his upper lip slightly. "Place smells like a ripe distillery…with a whiff of halitosis and urine." Alice gagged and covered her nose. "That's the scent of recognized genius. So piss off!" the octopus snapped angrily and turned away.

"More empties than a Dublin brewery…the Carpenter sent us." she muttered and looked at me then back at him. "For starters, the Carpenter is a pusillanimous, parsimonious, pettifogging moron." he called and turned towards us, going closer. "That's as maybe, but he sent us for the script. We need-"

"Your needs are shite! I need a drink!" he snapped angrily and moved even closer towards us, making me hide behind Alice. "Who cares? I need those responsible for my abortive career in chains, no joy. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS! The world is mum…just now, I need a dose of "hide-and-seek". Find me thrice fair maids, be quick about it, and we can deal."

We watched him swim away, a trail of ink being left behind. The trail soon evaporated and Cheshire appeared, sitting on top of a huge glass bottle. "Where the ink flows, the octopus goes. Follow the ink." he murmured and grinned, disappearing. I jumped onto the white jellyfish and noticed Alice running along an invisible path, jumping onto a platform where a pig snout was. I sighed and continued the path, jumping carefully to each jellyfish and into the steam vent. I landed on another jellyfish and noticed Alice already reached the other side, waiting patiently. She smiled at me as I landed next to her and we looked at the dead fish sign, the fish nailed into the rocky wall. "One night only, the big show featuring the fabulous Oyster Sisters." I muttered.

She grabbed my arm and we walked through the large hole. She noticed a shape in a wine bottle and ran up to it, smashing it apart with the Hobby Horse. "Oh this is too easy!" the octopus called and swam away, ink trailing behind him. We ran past some more wine bottles and she shrank down, seeing a rising and lowering platform, and got back into her normal size. She grabbed my hand and she jumped onto it with me in tow. "Thanks?" I questioned. She just nodded and smirked.

We made it to the large wooden platform and she set a Clockwork Bomb on the pressure pad, a switch inside a diver's helmet rising up from the dark depths below us. She shrunk and quickly jumped onto the invisible square, shooting the switch, making it turn green. A smaller wooden platform rose up in front of me and she waved. "Go ahead. Just wait for me when you get to the other side." Alice called. I nodded and jumped onto the platform, running along it, and quickly skidded to a halt before I ran over the edge by accident. I saw a mushroom spring and took a deep breath and jumped through the water, floating towards it.

I hit it and landed safely on the ground above it. Alice ran along the wooden platform and without hesitation, jumped towards the spring, floating towards it, and hit it, landing next to me. "How'd you do that with just one twirl?" I asked, clearly amazed. She shrugged and smirked. "Practice makes perfect." I nodded and followed her through the opening. We split up in search of the weird ass octopus who has an odd obsession with hide-and-seek. Alice walked around a pillar of rocks and spotted a keyhole in a shell. She cleared her throat loudly, getting my attention. I peeked behind the pillar and she pointed at the keyhole. "I bet he's in there."

"Probably." I muttered plainly.

She shrunk and walked into it and I did the same, following behind her. I saw the shape of the octopus and we got back to regular size. The nineteen year old walked up to the bottle and shattered it with the Vorpal Blade (it could do that in the game so don't bitch at me saying it can't.). "Oh you have me now, you won't have me again." the octopus muttered and swam away, ink behind him.

We walked around a corner and I watched Alice jump to the second white jellyfish and then into the steam vent. I did the same, almost fell off on the second jellyfish, and almost got zapped by the electric red jellyfish. I landed next to her and jumped when the Clockwork Bomb exploded. Alice cursed in annoyance, almost getting the switch to turn green, and looked at me. "Could you maybe stand on the pressure pads for me please?" I nodded slowly and stood on the one in front of me.

The same switch rose up and she shot it quickly with the Pepper Grinder. A blue spring jellyfish rose up and she walked along the invisible path and nodded at me, running along the wooden platform and jumped off. "Alice!" I called and watched as she sprang into the air, laughing, and landed on the other side. "C'mon Brianna!" she called and smiled happily. I sighed in relief and jumped off it too, hitting the spring, and landed next to her.

We dropped down to the ground and a ghost appeared, bombs appearing in his hands. He laughed and yelped when they blew up in his hands. Alice rushed towards the dizzy spirit and smashed him with the Hobby Horse twice and slit his throat with the Vorpal Blade. He gagged and fell back, disappearing. I looked at the wooden walkway and walked along it, standing on the pressure pad. "I'll stand on these for you. You just shoot the switches." I informed.

Alice smiled at me gratefully and patted my head, jumping to each wooden platform. She walked behind a large stone pillar and shot the switch, making it turn green. I followed and stood on the next one near her. She jumped and floated towards the ground and aimed the Pepper Grinder, shooting it, making it turn green also. A platform rose up and I jumped onto it, walking up to the pressure pad and set my foot on it, making a switch rise up. Alice jumped down and shot it, making it turn green as well. A pink spring appeared and a long platform rose up.

"You can get off them now." she called and watched me run towards her. I let her go first on the spring and followed behind, landing next to her. We walked around the corner and on the platform. "He has to be there. If he isn't, then I'm going to be pissed." she murmured to herself and I giggled. She jumped into the steam and made it to the higher walkway above. I landed next to her and spotted the octopus in the farthest back bottle. She seemed to have caught on cause she took out the blade weapon and threw it at the bottle, making it shatter.

"It's all in the game, a fair cop. You're a good sport! And no one died! Join me in the library, unlike some, I don't welsh." the octopus smiled and swam into the library. We walked into the room and looked around, an awful music playing. "The Carpenter commissioned a song and dance number on morality. Art and good sense be damned. He demands mirth, silliness, and restrained debauchery all around. Walrus will do a hero turn as Death." Octopus murmured and looked around. "Imagine! I'll bring the script to the theater. You two can be on your way."

We then noticed the dead fish's mouth open and he sighed. "No doubt the Carpenter's got you collecting piscine divas for the musical portion. The man rarely hires the proper talent. Some fish can sing…but not all." We looked at each other and ran towards the fish, running into its mouth and into the darkness.

A few minutes passed and we soon reached the other end, the water seeming clearer. Alice stopped and took out her Vorpal Blade, the slices getting even faster. And then she took out the Pepper Grinder, the weapon much different looking. "Upgrading some of your weapons?" I asked curiously. She looked at me and nodded. "Aren't you gonna upgrade yours?" she asked. I took out the metal fan and looked at it, opening it. "I don't think it can upgrade." I murmured and looked at it from every angle. She nodded and I put my weapon away, walking down the alley surrounded by rocks.

"It's all wrong!" a voice (it might be female) called out. We looked at each other in confusion and we continued to walk. "If I had ears, they'd be hurting!" I noticed the bottle fish when we jumped onto the platform, then the next, and finally onto the largest one. "I'm not terribly musical…but you seem out of tune." Alice observed and rocked on her feet, her arms behind her back. "It's not my fault!" the fish whined. "I can't hear my notes! The pipes are obstructed."

"I can see that. Why not do something about it?"

"And endanger my vocal chords?! You two might do it for me…"

"Everyone here has an excuse for doing nothing! Reminds me of the asylum…"

I decided to go into the room to my left, running up the slanted wooden walkway. I saw what looked like drums with ruin covering them and gulp, jumping onto the ground. Three insidious ruin appeared, along with a menacing ruin. I yelped in fear when the menacing ruin smashed its hand into the ground, fire exploding out of the ground. I got out my weapon and went for the smaller enemies, tearing out the baby doll faces easily.

The Menacing ruin growled and took out a ball of flaming ruin. It threw it at me and before I could act, it slammed into my chest, knocking the wind out of me and knocked me back. I screamed in pain and hit the ground at full impact. It almost seemed like I blacked out.

Alice walked into the opening and cracked her neck, then her fingers. "You've made a respectable start to it, but a decent job would require considerably more application. I'm sure you'd like to do a decent job." the fish murmured. She rolled her eyes and walked into another room, seeing the violins. She already got the trumpets fixed and all that was left was this room and that was it. 'I wonder what's taking Brianna so long.' she thought and dropped down to the ground. Three Ice Snarks appeared, along with a Menacing ruin and all hell broke loose. It took about 8 minutes until she finally defeated the enemies. She smashed the ruin away and the violins began to play instantly.

She walked out of the room and into the opening. "That's all well and good, but my range needs a fully functional orchestra." That's when she heard something. The drums weren't playing! The fish watched her sprint into the room where I was and stopped almost immediately. I was laying against the rocky wall, my arms pinned to the wall by ruin covering my wrists. "Brianna!" Alice screamed and jumped down to the ground.

She summoned the Vorpal Blade and rushed at the enemy. My eyes slowly opened and I snapped back into reality when I saw her sink the weapon into its face, stabbing it quickly, repeatedly, and powerfully. One by one, each face was torn out. It yelped and disappeared into the ground. The ruin on my wrists cracked and dried out but I still couldn't move my arms.

She ran up to me and took out a Clockwork Bomb. "This won't hurt I promise." she muttered and looked at me in concern. It popped up and she clicked a button, making it explode. It just felt like a strong wind. She helped me up and I smiled slightly at her. "Did that thing hurt you?" I shook my head no and we got out of the room, walking up to the giant bottle fish.

"There's something wrong…I can't find the time to learn." the fish murmured. Alice looked up at it. "It's surely not lost, perhaps mislaid. I suppose I'll have to help you carry the tune. Better be light." She then began to sing in the do re mi fa so la ti do stuff, repeating it for the rhythm, the instruments copying her. "The audience will be grateful for your efforts." the fish praised.

"I doubt it." she whispered.

"The performers meager efforts will be enhanced by my musical score! Please wake them with this exciting news." We watched the weird bottle fish swim away and disappear behind the seaweed. "That thing was weird." I muttered, making her chuckle. The door in a Tiki-head rose up and we dropped down onto the ground, walking through the doorway one after the other.

We ran down a long tunnel side by side and slowed down when we reached an opening. The water was dirty looking and seaweed and other plants were everywhere. Cheshire appeared in front of us, near the open Tiki-head mouth. "Two down one to go. Oysters are the presumptive stars of the show, if you can wake them." he informed and disappeared. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked curiously. "It means that they won't be easy trying to wake them up." Alice replied.

I nodded slowly and we walked through the doorway. We dropped down to the ground and three Cannon Crabs appeared, looking meaner than they already did. We dodged just in time as one shot a cannon at us. I smirked and took out my fan, opening it. I threw it at one and successfully cut its whole cannon arm off. Alice dodged up to it and brought the Hobby Horse down on it, getting it to fall on its back. I cut off the others cannons and kept on dodging, red flower petals trailing behind me.

The nineteen year old finished them off with the Hobby Horse and we heard a loud creak, noticing a bed gently float down and land on a flat rock. An oyster shell opened and the female oyster yawned. "You just interrupted my dreams. Oh well, off to the show I suppose." We watched her fly away and gritted my teeth. "What a bitch." Alice just nodded.

Three Tiki-heads rose up from the ground, creating some steps for us, and the door rose up in a Tiki-head mouth. "Let's get going shall we?" she muttered and jumped onto each one, going into the door. I sighed and followed. We ran around a corner and I noticed a bunch of jellyfish everywhere when we got into the opening. "Uh…you go first." I murmured and backed up slightly. She chuckled and jumped into the steam, landing on a white jellyfish and hopped to the next one, jumping on a blue spring jellyfish, and floated to a very large white jellyfish.

I noticed her wave me over and I swallowed the lump in my throat, jumping into the steam. It burned my legs slightly but I ignored it, getting closer to her. She smiled at me and patted my back. "See that wasn't so bad." I nodded slowly and she jumped into some more steam, landing on a spring, then on a white jellyfish. Alice hopped onto the stone walkway and turned around, waiting for me. I did the same and sighed in relief when I landed safely next to her.

We walked through the opening and into another room, a bed floating high in the water. A Cannon Crab appeared, along with six insidious ruin. I went after the ruin enemies after cutting off the Cannon Crab's cannon arm. Alice hit it, making it go onto its back, and starting stabbing it forcefully with the Vorpal Blade. I sent my fan towards the hordes of ruin monsters and actually got every single one of them.

The bed floated down and landed on the ground gently. The oyster yawned and stood up. "We still need the star! The star! The star!" she informed and swam away. I rolled my eyes and the door opened. It was an easy jump for both of us and we walked around the corner, seeing a blonde oyster sitting down. We entered the room and I remembered that this was the first puzzle thing.

"Help me Alice! This poster for the show, it's ruined! If I can't put it back together Carpenter will grind my bones!" the oyster whimpered, a fearful look on her face. "I guess we'll have to find the missing pieces ourselves." Alice growled silently. The pieces already found disappeared and reappeared in the puzzle. Alice turned and Cheshire appeared as she jumped up the short Tiki-heads, touching one piece, making it disappear. "The proper order of things is often a mystery to me. You too?" he asked and looked at us, disappearing.

"I need the poster now!" the oyster demanded. I noticed a black tentacle thing covering a shell and ran up to it, shrinking. I ran down the keyhole and into a small room, touching a puzzle piece, making it disappear. "Quick! Before the show begins!" the blonde oyster yelped. Alice turned a corner and skidded to a halt when four Ice Snarks appeared, a Cannon Crab on top of a Tiki-head. She grinned and rushed into the crowd.

I ran past the oyster, glaring at her for not helping, and a pink mushroom spring appeared. I ran on it and was launched into the air, landing on the tall walkway. I ran into the open area and jumped down onto a blue jellyfish, landing on the rocky ledge above. I looked around and realized that this was the area where you needed the Clockwork Bomb and Shrink Sense to get to the puzzle piece…and I didn't have the Clockwork Bomb. Only Shrink Sense. "Dammit!" I growled and looked around.

"It looks like you might throw a temper tantrum any minute now." Cheshire observed, appearing behind me. I jumped and quickly turned around. "What're you doing here?" I asked sternly. He grinned and looked away. "Well I was just watching and I noticed you were having some trouble." I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Don't you have somewhere else to be? Besides I can wait for Alice to help me."

He chuckled and closed his eyes, grinning even wider. "But if you wait Brianna then the Carpenter might arrive and kill the oyster because of you." That got my attention.

Alice watched the Tiki-head sink into the ground, a piece of the puzzle on its head. She jumped onto the jellyfish spring and landed on the floating rock, walking up to the piece. She touched it and it disappeared. "Quickly! They could be here any minute!" the oyster called in fright.

Cheshire walked past me and onto the pressure pad, sitting down, looking up at me. He never helped Alice in the game like this so why here? 'Y-you're helping me?" I asked, uncertain. He nodded and smirked. "You better get going. The Carpenter isn't a patient man." I nodded and shrunk down, watching the moving circular platforms. I got back to normal size and jumped onto the fast moving one, stumbling slightly.

I shrank back down and then back to my normal size to get to the second one that moved up and down. I walked into the open mouth and touched the last puzzle piece, walking out and back the way I came. Cheshire looked up and me and hissed in surprise when I picked him up and hugged him gently. "Thank you Cheshire." I muttered and rubbed my head against his cheek, holding him up by the backside. "I'm a cat not a doll Brianna! Do you want to lose an eye?!" Cheshire hissed and squirmed in my grasp.

I kissed him on the head and let him go. He dropped down to the ground and licked his paw, rubbing it on the spot where I kissed him. "Just a simple thank you would have been fine. You didn't need to do that." he growled and disappeared. I giggled and ran out of the room, dropping down to the ground.

I noticed Alice was trying to figure out how to fix the puzzle pieces. "How does this work? Where do these pieces go?" the oyster whimpered. She raised her upper lip slightly and glared at the oyster. I ran up to them and she looked at me. "Brianna can you help?" she asked and grabbed my arms. I pulled my head back slightly and nodded, walking in front of the poster.

(A few minutes later…)

I moved the last piece and they looked at me in surprise. The oyster smiled and stood up. "Let us resume our place, before our adoring fans at the theater." We watched her swim into the now open fish mouth and we looked at each other. "Thanks for solving the puzzle." Alice muttered and smiled at me as we walked towards the fish. I smiled back and placed my arms behind my head. "You're welcome." We reach the mouth of the large fish and walked into the dark nothingness together.


	10. The show's to DIE for!

**Like I promised, this is the last chapter for the Deluded Depths and I typed it as fast as I could so you would have two chapters to read. Hope you enjoy!**

Carpenter rode on Walrus silently towards us and crashed down on a bridge, destroying it. Alice's eyes widened and she pushed me behind her. "My god, you're not an impresario, you're a killer! The mastermind of a criminal enterprise!" He smirked and looked down at us. "This world's not so either/or Alice."

"And we've done your bidding!" she snapped. Carpenter rolled his eyes. "You did a few errands, got your hands dirty, big deal. The show distrac-ulates the crowd, shame you two will miss it. You need to deal with these sailors. It's your time." he informed and frowned, pretending to be sad. "Time?" Walrus asked and raised his head slightly. "Time? The time has come to talk of ships, and, and, and vegetables and royalty and, and, and weather pigs have wings and so on."

The Carpenter growled in annoyance as the walrus rocked about, making him rock as well, and dug his fingers into his skin. "Enough of that Walrus! You start wailing about there being too much sand on the beach I'll have your blubber for breakfast!" I felt pretty bad for him at this point. "Shame on you Carpenter! You made a promise!" Alice snapped angrily.

He sighed and looked away. "I had no choice. One can't always do as one would like. I would have thought you'd know that by now. Goodbye lovely little Brianna." We watched him ride away on Walrus and I cocked an eyebrow, pulling my head back. "Dafuq?" I questioned and jumped when the gates to the cemetery closed quickly.

A Drowned Sailor slowly rose out of the ground and looked at us. He laughed and dove into the ground, moving around. He headed towards Alice jumped out of the ground. She dodged him just in time and he dove for her again. She dodged again and he yelped, landing on the ground. She shot him with the Pepper Grinder and nodded at me. I nodded back and threw my fan at him, slicing his head clean off his body. I caught my weapon as it came back and put it away.

A gate opened farthest away from us and we ran down the path, tons of large grave stones everywhere, and ran through the gates, running up a slanted walkway. We slowed down and walked into another area, the open gates closing immediately behind us. A Drowned Sailor appeared and laughed, bombs appearing in his hands. Alice quickly shot them, making them explode in his hands. He yelped and dropped to the ground. I watched as she brought the Hobby Horse down on him once a repeatedly stabbed him with the Vorpal Blade.

Four Ice Snarks broke out of the ground and snarled, running towards us. I dodged as one quickly slid towards me and I threw my weapon at it, slicing it in half, its entrails spilling out onto the ground. I did the same with another and Alice continued to shoot one, finally killing it and sliced open the last ones jugular. We sighed, glad that it was finally over, until we heard something that sounded like the ground cracking slightly.

"Friends or foes?" a Drowned Sailor asked and rose out of the ground. "Please Alice and friend, help me fulfill my pledge. I need my men. They may be hostile at first but their true souls are trapped! You must release them!" Alice looked at me then at him. "Do they want to be at peace?"

"They do not know their own minds. What's true of the living is often true of the dead."

We walked past him and towards the gate, now open. "Alright Brianna," Alice began as be got past the gate and into the area with three rooms or whatever the hell it was in there. "I want you to stay here." I tried to say something but she spoke up. "No buts! It may be too dangerous for you and I don't want you getting hurt. Trust me." I was silent for a few minutes and finally nodded. She smiled and stood up, running up the stairs to the one on the right and walked into the opening, the door closing behind her.

(In the weird ass thing I have no idea what the hell it is…)

She stood on a stone platform that was sort of like an arena. A Drowned Sailor appeared and laughed, bombs in his hands. She grinned and shot them, making them explode. She decided to try something new so she summoned up the Vorpal Blade and threw it at him. It embedded into his throat and she sprinted towards him, Hobby Horse raised in the air, and slammed it down onto his neck, the knife severing his head. A white spirit appeared out of his body and floated away. "Wait come back here! I'm a savior…of a sort." She called.

(Then she had to follow this glowing seahorse and break a treasure chest to release the same ghost/spirit, getting out of the room successfully.)

I watched in shock as she walked out of the room unharmed and she smiled at me. "That's it that's it! Good girl!" the Drowned Sailor cheered, floating behind me, making me jump. 'Jesus mother of fuck!' I thought, my heart pounding. She ran towards the room on the left and stood inside it, the door closing.

(It was another thing where you had to face another Drowned Sailor but there were three Drifting Ruin there to occupy you. Then you had to follow another glowing seahorse, only this time if you were in the dark, you lost health. If you don't like that I'm skipping this then go fucking read something else you hate mongers. I got that word off of Tosh.O.)

Alice walked up to the treasure chest and smashed it to pieces. "Thanks for reuniting me with my ship." the sailor muttered and disappeared.

The door opened and Alice walked out, jumping and floating to the middle one. "Hurry along Alice." the same sailor mused on.

I watched her disappear and I frowned slightly. "She seems like a good friend." the sailor observed and looked down at me. "How long have you two known each other?" I crossed my arms and looked to my right. "Not very long actually. She seems like a lunatic but she's really caring." He nodded and patted my shoulder, making me look at him. "Well I'm sure she thinks of you the same way." I smirked and nodded, looking away.

"Do angles have this much trouble?" Alice growled and followed the glowing seahorse. It took about ten minutes for her to reach the treasure chest. She smashed it with the Hobby Horse and looked at the spirit. "That's the way girl! It's back to the ship for me!"

I smiled happily as she walked out of the room and down the stairs, walking towards us. I hugged her happily and she smiled. "Many thanks Alice. Be as good to yourself and your friend as you've been to us. Haul anchor and heave to men! It's the wide and glorious main for us!" We watched them disappear and the gate opened. "Let's keep going. If we're lucky we might be able to reach the show just in time and teach Carpenter a lesson." Alice muttered and began to walk away. I followed and it was silent for some time.

We walked down a path and through a hole, a blue mushroom appearing. She walked on it first, being pushed up, and I followed.

Matthew sat on the roof of a dollhouse, his left knee raised and his arm rested on it. 'He won't allow me to leave until my wounds are healed…so what the hell am I fucking supposed to do?!' he thought bitterly and sighed, scratching his head. A Bitch Baby sat next to him, silent. It looked up at him when he stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna go exploring. If you tell him I'll kill you." Matthew murmured and looked down at her to make sure she understood. The Bitch Baby nodded and looked away.

He grinned and grabbed his scythe, raising it over his head as he quickly turned around and sliced the doll head with feet attached to it in half. A green substance coated the scythe blade and he grinned. "I don't trust you." He then turned away and jumped from roof to roof, his cloak blowing in the wind.

The insane child leader sighed as she colored on the floor to the lower half of Fort Resistance. "I wonder what it would be like if we got a kitten." she murmured to herself as she continued to color. The dark orange haired girl looked at her and scratched her head. "It would probably half to stay here." She nodded and sighed, tugging on her bottom lip.

The walls creaked and the insane boy with his mouth stapled into a grin started panicking. "What is it?" the insane child leader asked in concern, standing up. He pointed up in a hurry, fear in his eyes, and made some types of noises. She looked up and screamed when a figure dropped into the fort and pushed the boy away. He gasped when he hit a wall and fell to the ground.

Matthew stood up straight, still taller than all of them, and chuckled. "I-it's you!" she yelped in horror and backed up. Every insane child looked at him in horror and began to run, trying to hide somewhere. He watched in amusement and noticed the insane leader try to slip out of the window. "And where the hell do you think you're going?!" he snapped, now outside of the window she was trying to go out of.

She screamed at the top of her lungs and scrambled back inside Fort Resistance. She backed up and froze when she hit something. Matthew smirked under his mask and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her up. She screamed again and he held her close to him by his arm wrapped around her stomach. "Did you miss me? I missed you." he cooed and pet her head, his claws brushing against her scalp slightly. "Put me down this instant!" she snapped angrily and began to kick her legs.

He chuckled and grinned, the mouth to his mask opening. "Why're you so squeamish?" The insane child leader let out a loud squeak as he ran his hands up her white tattered and slightly bloodstained dress (it almost reminds me of Alice's Rutledge Asylum straight jacket but it doesn't have the straps in the back and the folded arm sleeves.).

She froze in horror as he began to squeeze and dig his claws into her thigh. "W-what're you doing?!" she shouted and began to kick her legs again. Matthew growled in annoyance and released her. Before she could run away, he grabbed her shoulder and slammed her into a wall, his hands on each side of her head. He chuckled, the arm on the back of his shoulder lowering and lifted her head up by the chin.

The ruin felt cold and she tried to close her eyes. Matthew dragged his claws down the wall, creating a sharp screeching noise. The insane children groaned and covered their ears, falling over as they tried to block out the sound. He smirked and looked down upon his prey, the mouth to the mask slowly opened. The insane child leader looked down, her face buried in her knees and her hands covered her ears.

"Hey…you don't need to be scared." he whispered lovingly into her ear as he gently pulled her hand away. She looked up at him, tears staining her cheeks. He noticed them and stood up quickly, walking up the slanted walkway and onto the second floor. The other insane kids backed up in fear and he disappeared into the ground.

Alice and I dropped down to the ground after sliding on the fish scale slide. The ground began to rumble and I almost lost my bladder when the Colossal Ruin ripped itself out of the ground. Alice's eyes widened in horror and it snarled at us, tons of baby doll faces appearing. "You're in our fucking way!" she snapped and began to shoot each face with the Pepper Grinder. It snarled and most of the faces went back inside of the ruin and it began to charge at us, leaning down to pick us up. She yelped when she was picked up and I gasped, getting my fan out.

It snarled when the fan tore a face out and came back, tearing another face out, dropping her before it could squeeze her. She looked at me with grateful eyes and began to shoot it again. One after the other the faces were destroyed. It snarled at us and dove back into the ground. We breathed heavily and she patted my back. "Thanks for saving me back there." I nodded and we got ourselves together, walking towards the dried ruin barrier. She destroyed it with the Clockwork Bomb and we walked through the hole, a dead and mutilated fish man laying near the entrance.

A scream escaped my lips when I saw all of the dead fish people in piles under the theater and laying around. Alice gaged and covered her mouth to stop herself from throwing up. The smell was awful and I could barely keep anything in my stomach down. Just the sight was enough to make me puke and that's exactly what I did. Alice looked away and tried to block out the sight but it didn't work and eventually, she threw up as well.

I finally got myself together and sighed, standing up. "Are you okay over there Alice?" I called. She raised her hand and raised her pointer finger, spitting out the remaining. "Yeah. Are you?"

"Yeah…"

We sighed and looked at the dead bodies. "What happened?" I asked cause I never really did figure out what happened to them. She shrugged and we entered the room where the bodies were in huge piles. I gaged and turned away and Cheshire appeared, sitting on top of a pile. "Every picture tells a story. Sometimes we don't like the ending. Sometimes we don't understand it." he told us and disappeared. I looked around and faintly heard groaning, looking at the Mayor. "Holy shit Alice! He's still alive!"

She looked at me and rushed towards us. He moaned so softly you could hardly hear him. "Oh my…he is alive isn't he?" she whispered in shock and placed her hand near her lips. I looked at him in sorrow, feeling bad for him, and I felt a tug on the seaweed coming from my shoulder. "We should be leaving now." Alice informed. I nodded slowly and we began to walk away.

"Wait…" the Mayor called weakly, making us stop and look at him in concern. "Please…take this…" We looked down at the floor and saw the Octo Grinder. I looked at Alice and she urged me on, a gentle smile on her face. "I already have the Pepper Grinder. You can have it." she informed. I nodded and faced him, walking up to the almost dead Mayor and knelt down, picking up the weapon. It blinked and I looked up at him. "Thank you sir."

He just nodded and lowered his head, breathing silently. I looked back at the nineteen year old and she nodded and began to walk away. I followed her and we walked up the wooden walkway. We walked down the hall of the theater and the doors closed behind us. We turned a corner and saw Octopus and that weird ass bottle singing fish whatever the hell it was floating there. "Is the show over?" Alice asked. The Octopus shook his head. "It's about to start. You may want to find your seats."

We nodded and walked into the dark room, the only light coming from the stage and small lights on the walls. Fish people talked loudly amongst each other and stopped when Carpenter began to speak up. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show!" Carpenter announced as he walked onstage and moved away. Alice and I sat down and watched silently. The fish people began to cheer when the Oyster Sisters began to do the can-can as they walked out onto the stage.

I pulled my head back and Carpenter sat next to me. "Rather bizarre show…" Alice murmured and he clapped, a smirk on his face. The blonde oyster walked out on stage and twirled, screaming before she was crushed underneath Walrus. "That's quite enough of that, I think…enough preliminaries. Here's the performance you've been waiting for proved I'm without prejudice and I have a fine sense of humor." he informed, the oysters backing up in horror and ran off the stage as cardboard tombstones were walked onto the stage.

"Sword and crown are worthless here, I invite everyone to dance. Laborers, lawyers, church and gown all make their little prance. This life is full of random deaths, and heaps of grief and shame. So few are soothed by "accident", you want someone to blame. Fire, plague, and strange disease, drowned, murdered, or if you'd please. A long fall down the basement stairs, none are expected, no one cares. I often must work very hard, sweat running down my skin, after the dance, I then must rest and the eating can begin."

Everyone began to scream as he gathered all of the oysters and looked at them hungrily. I noticed Carpenter pull out a cloak and put it around his shoulders and button it up. "Time to eat! Death is the ultimate equalizer. All have the right to be eaten." Walrus chanted and grabbed one, shoving her into his mouth, her screams heard. The fish people screamed louder and ran in all directions.

Carpenter stood up and held his arms out, a smile on his face. "Get in line creatures. Don't push! All will be served, so to speak." Alice shot up and placed her hands over my eyes and held me close to her. "Wicked thing! Feasting while Wonderland is destroyed." He raised his upper lip in annoyance and glared at her, the oysters cry's and screams filled the room. "I'm not the enemy you two seek Alice! I tried to hide this bit of Wonderland from that beast! Appeasement's never clean. We must all play our assigned roles." He then held his hand out but not in a 'take it' motion. "Are you a pawn or a queen? And idiot or practiced fool? However the prospect turns out, that you two have been misled Alice! Then ask by whom?"

We heard sounds of the train and the ground began to rumble violently. "Oh no, who set that bloody train in motion?! Where has it come from?!" Alice demanded, fear in her voice. She let go of me and I could see the train coming up fast. "It arrived when you two arrived! And it's more horrible than even you can currently imagine!" Carpenter shouted and jumped in front of us and held his hand out in the direction of the train. "The death of a dream! Caterpillar may know how!"

The room got brighter and brighter and the last thing I heard before I blacked out was the loud shrieks of the fish people and the Carpenter.


	11. Vale of Doom

Alice, her nanny, and I sat in a wagon, the hoof steps coming from the horse filling our ears. Alice gasped and curled her nose in disgust. "Ugh, what? The blood in my mouth tastes like bile! Where's the brute that hit us Nanny?" Nanny looked at us and looked away. "Nasty prat's out cold. Not dead and mores the pity."

"What did he want?" she asked curiously.

"What they all want. Money he didn't earn." she replied and frowned and glared at us sternly. "What were you two thinking butting into that mess?! You two could've been killed! And I don't even know how old this child is!" I looked at her and looked away. "Yeah how old are you Brianna?" Alice asked curiously. I looked away sheepishly and swallowed the lump in my throat. "Thirteen." I replied quietly.

Their eyes widened in surprise and the older woman's jaw dropped. "Alice I could've been charged for child abuse!" The girl lowered her head and nodded. "Nanny, my mind's in pieces. I still have terrible visions and I need to know!"

"About the fire…same as always. You need to move on Alice, so do I."

The woman sighed and leaned back, closing her eyes. 'Well at least she's not spewing that asylum nonsense. "My past is dead I killed them, I should have saved them! I should have died!" Her mind was in shambles.' the woman thought. 'Radcliffe thought familiar faces would bring her around. After a year, he just lost interest in her inheritance. Greedy sod. Still, always asking his bizarre questions. A heavy dose of madness I'd say. But honesty's never the best policy in his life. When she wasn't comatose, she gaped eyes like pin wheels, drooled, occasionally screeched, but never uttered a sensible sound. And like the child she was, she kept her secrets close.'

We entered through a path and I noticed some red Chinese lanterns hanging on wires from home to home. Nanny looked around and noticed a group of children, some men next to them. "Gonophs and lurkers! Common as cockroaches. And those poor tykes are food for perverts. Like the blameless ants that wasps consume, or a sider's feeble prey." Alice looked at her and crossed her arms. "You visited my room in Rutledge. What were you-"

"You recall that? Radcliffe paid me for a bit…a woman alone sometimes does what she doesn't particularly feel like doing…as you know." Nanny replied.

"Nurse Witless said you'd fallen on hard times." Alice smirked.

"I'm no drunk like her! I'm hurtin' no one!" the woman snapped, making me flinch. "Hooking's not a bad life." The nineteen year old rolled her eyes. "Except for the pimps. She also said you might have my rabbit. Please Nanny, talk about-"

"The damn fire?! It never seems to help! Look Alice, I can't give you what I don't have. Radcliffe wrote the Inquest Report. I'll take you to him. Besides, he's got your damned rabbit you should remember that."

"Alright but Mr. Radcliffe's useless!"

"Don't I know it."

Some wooden gates opened and finally the wagon came to a stop. We got out and watched the woman walk up to some crates and sit on them, another woman (hooker) walking up to her, and they started talking. I felt a gentle tug on my shoulder and turned to see Alice, smiling down at me. "Let's go see Mr. Radcliffe." I nodded and we walked away.

We walked side by side and she looked down at me. "You're thirteen? You don't act thirteen at all! Even in Wonderland!" she informed in surprise. A woman looked at us, her eyebrows raised and her lips scrunched together, and scoffed at us. We giggled to each other and continued to walk away, the woman watching us. We turned a corner and silently walked down the road, ignoring people talking.

Alice looked around slightly as we reached some gates and she opened them, allowing me to go first. She closed them and we walked up the stairs. "I wonder how he'll react to seeing you, since he's never met you." I nodded slightly and she knocked on the door, nothing, then knocked again. "Yes?" a voice arose of a quiet speaker. "Who is it?"

"Alice Liddell, Mr. Radcliffe." Alice replied. It was silent for five seconds until he spoke up. "Ah, you're back. I suppose you better come up. Mind the latch." A ringing sounded off and the door unlocked, opening. We walked into the large home and I looked around, being the curious little shit I am.

Alice watched me and smirked. "This place is pretty fancy." I mumbled to myself. She placed her hand on my shoulder and we walked up the stairs. "Wow…" I whispered and walked up to the katana's. "Japanese katana's." I finished. She cocked an eyebrow and walked up to me. "You know what these are?"

I nodded and placed my hand on the handle. "I like Japanese stuff." She nodded and I turned around, walking up the stairs. We turned a corner and stood in the doorway, seeing the fat man sitting at his desk, writing on some papers. We walked into the room and Alice placed her hand on a chair. "You do have my rabbit!" she snapped and pointed at her toy. Radcliffe smirked and grabbed it, standing up.

"Forgotten your manners? And what else I wonder? You abandoned it at Rutledge asylum my dear, we've been over this before. And you seem to have a child following you."

Alice placed her hand out, stopping me from going ahead. "She's my friend and I will not be talked to like this in front of her!" He rolled his eyes in annoyance and crossed his arms. 'In a huff as usual. Oozing with attitude and accusatory flummery. I've stolen her rabbit. Ridiculous pretext. She's here about the fire again! All the mad child wants to talk about!' he thought to himself.

'My report found her family dead by misadventure. She won't accept it, goes on and on about her killing memories, and her need to know the truth. The alleged truth is: the fire began in the library when the cat knocked over a lamp. The blaze trapped her parents and sister upstairs. Sister Lizzie never even unlocked her door. Died in her bed. The guilty cat always sets her off. She denies it: "Makes no sense! It can't be!" etcetera…agreed. From the outset, Alice was my candidate for the pyromaniac. The girl had a fixation with fire! I once remarked that I thought she might have had a larger role in causing the tragedy. She suffered some sort of psychotic episode.'

I watched in horror as the walls began to peel and the room darkened, Alice falling to the floor. Radcliffe began to disappear, along with everything else in the room except for the desk. I felt myself get light headed and fell to the floor, blacking out.

I soon woke up in the hall and sat up, shaking my head. I stood up and walked towards Mr. Radcliffe's office, seeing Alice sitting up. "So, what'd ya do Alice. Did you tear his head off and throw it out a window?" I asked as I leaned up against the door frame, the door nowhere in sight.

"Did I rip his head off?" Alice repeated in confusion, holding her head. "I wanted to." I watched her stand up and look around. "What's left of my brain will explode! Is it mad to pray for better hallucinations?" I shook my head no and smiled at her when she turned around. "Perhaps I'm faded to expire right here." she mumbled and began to walk away. I quickly placed my hand on her shoulder, making her stop, and looked up at her. "You'll still have me right?"

She looked at me out the corner of her eye and I yelped when I was brought into a hug. "Of course Brianna." I smiled slightly and she pulled away. We walked out of the room and down the stairs, everything missing, and turned a corner. We walked into a room and I remembered that there was a backdoor around the corner. And that's exactly what we walked out of. The door instantly closed behind us and I saw a shattered snowglobe with the Mock Turtle in it in the middle of the snowy street.

I walked up to it and looked at it. "I wonder how he's doing." I murmured to myself. Alice patted my shoulder and walked away, me following. "He's probably still crying over his ship." We walked around a house and saw some large mushrooms in a corner, they sky turning orange.

We soon reached an open, large pools of ruin in front of us, and tensed up when the train zoomed by, a horrible loud screeching noise filling our ears. I noticed Alice change into her Wonderland dress and I could feel the fur from my white fur vest from my dress. The ground fell apart and we walked along a pointed rock, other rocks floating around us. We looked around and she whimpered slightly. "This bloody ruin! It's corrupting all of Wonderland!"

"Seeking refuge from the wicked world?" Cheshire asked and appeared before us, grinning wider. "Perhaps things only "look" like they've gone to hell." Alice gritted her teeth in annoyance as we walked closer to him and stopped. "You're not that good a liar and we're not that stupid. But something a bit less calamitous would have been welcome."

"This unmitigated disaster is your doing and it will get worse. Your train keeps a hellish schedule. Get moving you two, time waits for no one. The change has begun." he informed and looked closely at us. "The train is perfectly capable of terrifying us cat. You should find another job." Alice growled. "Is there no hope for us Cheshire?" I asked in concern.

Cheshire looked at me and smirked. "There's even less and if fear paralyzes you we're lost." I nodded and he grinned, disappearing. We tensed up when three Insidious Ruins formed out of the ground along with a Menacing Ruin. It snarled and instantly threw a fireball at us. The nineteen year old deflected it with the umbrella and its arms shattered. I summoned the Octo Grinder and shot the smaller enemies. They yelped and melted into the ground. I smirked and heard Alice scream. She flew backwards after getting hit with its large ruin hand.

"Alice!" I screamed and rushed to her side. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly picked me up, dodging the fiery ruin ball. It growled and I brought out my fan, sending it at it. It cut out its last face and it yelped, melting into the ground. I sighed and caught it. A long scratch crossed her face and she walked up to the roses, touching them. They disappeared and I saw the wound heal by itself.

Alice smashed the Hobby Horse on the dried up ruin covering the smaller version of Caterpillar's hookah. She grabbed the nozzle and breathed in the smoke, a large pointed rock spinning up, smoke under it. _"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."_ Caterpillar informed. I looked around, wondering where his voice came from. "Single step of London Bridge could end our journey." Alice murmured to herself.

"_Failure as your epitaph? I hoped you were more courageous."_

We waited for the rock to lower down and we jumped onto it, jumping onto the ledge. Two Slithering Ruins, leapt out of the ground (odd). She rolled her eyes and set down a Clockwork Bomb. They went for it and just as they leapt at it, she detonated it, killing them. She jumped and floated towards the white steam vent, floating up and onto a moving rock. "C'mon Brianna!" she called and waved me over.

I nodded and followed, landing next to her. Two Insidious Ruins formed out of the ground and before I could do anything, she slammed the Hobby Horse down onto them, finishing them off with the Vorpal Blade. She set a Clockwork Bomb in front of the hookah and detonated it, removing the dried out ruin. She took it and inhaled the smoke, blowing it out.

"_That vaporous ledge only appears as flimsy and insubstantial as your confidence. It will hold you, trust me!"_ Caterpillar informed. 'Man that's annoying.' I thought and jumped onto the ledge along with Alice. We completely ignored the two Slithering Ruins and jumped into the steam one after the other, landing on the moving rock. We jumped onto to large ledge and she growled in annoyance when she noticed an Insidious Ruin enemy below us.

I watched her take out the Pepper Grinder and aim it at it, shooting it. After a minute it yelped and disappeared. "It's safe. Let's go." Alice murmured and jumped off the ledge, floating down to the ground. She yelped when another appeared and quickly stabbed it repeatedly with her knife. It yelped and disappeared. "Now it's safe." she called. I nodded slowly and jumped of the ledge, landing safely next to her.

We jumped over the ruin gaps and across the gaps. We jumped into the steam and onto the flat thin metal platform and then onto the gear. "What's that back there?" Alice asked curiously as we floated down to the ground. I pretended that I didn't know and we ran down the path, nearing the small table holding the Teapot Cannon on it. She looked at me and I nodded at her. She picked it up and examined it, looking at it from every angle. Her finger pressed a button on the handle and it fired, making us both jump. It splashed on a rock and we heard loud menacing laughing come from all around us.

I jumped when a plate landed next to me from the swirling table above and some more dishes began to fall off the table. The laughing got closer and the table sheets sounded like they were tearing as it got closer. A figure dropped to the ground in front of us, making us dodge backwards. I yelped when I hit something and squeaked in fright when something picked me up. "Hello baby sis!" Matthew cooed as he rubbed his head against my side, spinning around slightly.

I squirmed in his grasp and he set me on the ground, hugging my head. "Oh how I missed you!" he muttered and rubbed his porcelain cheek against my head. "Ow! Let go!" I barked and tried to push him away. Alice glared at him and he seemed to have noticed. Matthew let me go and before I could run to safety, he grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him, my hip resting against his.

"Why're you here you fucker?!" she growled angrily. He chuckled and pulled me closer. "I just wanted to spend some "quality time" with my sister." I looked away and blushed slightly. She brought out the Vorpal Blade and aimed it at him. "Tell me why you're really here!" Matthew groaned and let me go, rolling his eyes.

"I just came here to apologize."

"For what?!"

He smirked as he walked up to the table that had the Teapot Cannon on it and sat on it, examining his fingers. "I'm sorry I'm gonna have to kill you two. It won't be as much fun killing you Brianna because I won't get to do it. But oh well." I looked at him in shock and as he melted into the ground, a Colossal Ruin burst out of the ground, snarling at us. Alice gritted her teeth in annoyance and it snarled loudly at us when it fully got out of the ground. Two Insidious Ruins appeared also and I went for the little guys, killing them in a minute.

Alice took out the Teapot Cannon and charged (maybe?) it, causing the tea grenade to get hotter and hotter. When most of the faces were exposed, she fired it, destroying all of them. It growled and lowered to the ground, a huge baby doll face appearing and fire shot out of the large nozzles. Alice screamed and took off running. I jumped onto a large shell and got out my fan, throwing it at it.

It sliced into the baby doll mask and nothing happened. "That usually works…" I murmured. It hesitated for a minute and looked at me, starting the fire attack again. I yelped and quickly dodged. It yelped and it shattered when a grenade landed on it, exploding. It fell to the ground and sank into the gravel. We breathed heavily and she destroyed a weak barrier.

"That sucked." I called and ran up to her as she ran through the entrance. Some Slithering Ruins appeared and I looked at them, Alice grabbing my wrist. "We don't have time for them. We need to get moving!" she informed and we ran up a slanted metal walkway, an Insidious Ruin forming in front of us. She smashed the Hobby Horse against it and killed it. She destroyed the dried up ruin covering the hookah and she smoked it, breathing out. A rock swirled down and stopped, moving up and down. "I'm devastated. Look what's become of my beautiful valley!" Alice whimpered. _"All things change in the fullest of time."_ Caterpillar informed. _"Often not for better?"_ He did have a point.

We jumped onto the floating rock and one after the other after going into the steam vent, landed on the tall stone platform. Two Insidious and a Menacing Ruin appeared and she smirked. "I guess your brother isn't gonna take it easy on us." I nodded and took out the Octo Grinder, shooting the smaller enemies while she broke off the baby doll arms of the taller enemy, instantly stabbing the blade weapon into the faces.

Two Insidious Ruins appeared along with some Slithering Ruins and she killed them all with only two shots from the Teapot Cannon. We ran up to the covered hookah and she destroyed it, smoking again. "Why're you smoking from that anyway?" I asked curiously as we jumped onto the rock. Alice shrugged and stuck her bottom lip out slightly.

We landed on the large stone circular platform after getting out of the steam and two Drifting Ruins appeared. She grunted in annoyance and killed them both with one shot from the Teapot Cannon. I jumped onto the non-moving stone. She destroyed the dried up barrier with the Clockwork Bomb and it instantly began to move. I stumbled and she set her hand on my shoulder, keeping me steady. "Thanks." I smiled.

She smiled back and we hopped onto the black and white checkered platform. Three Madcaps and an Eyepot appeared and I went after the teapot enemy while she killed the green beings. After that was done she floated towards the platform below us and rushed into the crowd of enemies (two Insidious, a Menacing, and two Drifting Ruins).

I stood frozen on the checkered platform, hearing the snarls and yelps from the enemies. I looked out at the sky and saw the giant metal objects just levitating there, one looking like a giant hat. Alice breathed heavily and looked in my direction furiously. 'The hell is she doing?!' she thought bitterly and ran up to the edge, jumping onto the platform I was on.

Tears slightly formed in my eyes and I lowered my head, my fingers curling into a fist. "Hatter…" I whispered and gritted my teeth together. Alice looked at me in confusion, her arm stretched out, and sighed. I tensed up slightly when she set her hand on my shoulder gently and looked down at me. "Is that why you seem so upset?" she asked quietly. I wiped my eyes and shook my head. "I'm sorry. I just…I miss him. That's all."

Alice frowned and pet my head gently. "It's okay. Everything will get better Brianna." I nodded slowly and wiped my eyes again. "Let's go. We need to get moving. Now's not the time to mourn over him." she informed and jumped off the edge, running away. I watched her disappear from my sight and smiled slightly. 'I guess you're right Alice. Besides we get to see him in the end of the game!' That brought a smile on my face and I grinned, following behind.

I dropped down to the ground, seeing that the enemies had already been killed and heard a loud whistle. Alice stood in the entryway of this huge metal thing, holding a large spoon in one hand. "All the enemies are killed. So just come up here and let's get a move on!" she called and disappeared into the room. I nodded and jumped into the steam, landing on the tall stone walkway. I jumped into the other steam vent and landed on the metal walkway where she once was.

I jumped onto the metal hand pillar and dropped down onto the ground, seeing the switch was already activated. I jumped towards the steam vent, being pushed up, and floated to the next one, and landed on the tallest stone platform. I dropped down to the ground and noticed Alice standing there on the huge walkway below me.

I floated down to the ground and walked up to her and crossed my arms. "You could've waited for me." She smirked and Cheshire appeared behind us. "The sight, the stink, the sinister sound. What have you imagined Alice?" he asked and disappeared. She rolled her eyes and we noticed a Colossal Ruin burst out of the ground, snarling, followed by two Insidious and Drifting Ruins. We looked at each other in a bored tone and grinned, rushing towards them, our weapons in the air.

(Too graphic for children)

Alice blew out the smoke from the hookah and coughed. _"It's not only about you Alice! Look at the destruction around you! Consider its cause. Then, come join me."_ Caterpillar informed, a rock flying up. She crossed her arms and looked away. "C'mon Alice." I smiled and nudged her side, getting her attention. She nodded and we went on our merry way!

We landed on a pointed rock platform after floating in the steam and jumped to another steam vent, landing on another platform, then to another vent, and finally landed on the long stone walkway. We walked up to the tall looking hill thing, miniature houses on it. _"You are familiar with the saying that smoking stunts your growth?"_ Caterpillar asked curiously. Alice cocked an eyebrow and looked at it all over. "Adults assault children with that adage, usually while they've got a pipe stuck in their mouths." I nodded in agreement.

"_I won't ask you two to inhale."_ he muttered after a second of silence. _"Let the smoke envelop you."_ I looked around in shock when smoke began to surround us. I looked up in fright as the small statue…mountain thing began to get taller as we got much shorter, finally disappearing from sight.


	12. Mysterious East

"Brianna….Brianna get up!" Alice called and slapped my face gently. I groaned in annoyance and sat up. She grabbed my hand and helped me up. I held my head and noticed that we were in the Mysterious East. I watched as the Mahjong tiles floated in front of us and out the corner of my eye, noticed that Alice wasn't wearing the Silk Maiden dress.

Instead, she was wearing a traditional dark blue kimono with white, light blue, regular blue, and yellow medium sized flower designs in a slanted line in the middle of her legs, on her whole right arm sleeve, and half of her left arm sleeve, and a yellow obi belt with a red smaller belt around it with pink and bluish grey flowers.

Her sandals made a quiet _clop_ noise as she walked towards me. "This place is nice." she murmured. I didn't answer, only from the fact that I was looking at my Hanfu, another type of Japanese robe. The whole thing was red, my Eri (neckband) black with orange, yellow, red, and blue wavy designs around it. There were two black thick lines near the bottoms of my sleeves with the same design and my obi belt was golden with a black smaller belt around it but some of the obi over lapping it, making it seem like some belt loops. And there were three very long pointed clothes hanging from the obi, one in the middle of my front and the other two on my sides, all black with red, orange, yellow, and blue flower designs on it.

"What is this thing I'm wearing?" Alice questioned with a snarl, pulling at the neckband. I smiled and walked up to her, placing my hand on the very loose arm fabric. "A fine fabric kimono. This must've been very expensive back then." She cocked an eyebrow and looked down at me. "How do you know what this is?" I blushed slightly in embarrassment and looked away. "I like Japanese things. Maybe when we get back, I could show you how to draw."

"What do you mean "draw"?" she growled and raised her fist. I yelped and backed up. "I meant draw anime!" She seemed to have relaxed. "It's a Japanese style cartoon! Not that your drawings aren't awesome because they are." I flinched when she burst out laughing, holding her head. "I know my drawings aren't great. You don't have to be a kiss-ass about it too. Okay, I'd like to see what this anime stuff is."

I smiled and nodded, watching her jump down onto the moving Mahjong tile, jumping onto the plain stone platform. "It's safe to cross Brianna!" Alice called over her shoulder and made her way to the next long platform near us, a tree on it. I looked up at the sky, trying to decipher what it said, but I couldn't read it. I sighed in defeat and hesitantly jumped onto the rotating tile, making it to the stairs, then onto the platform, noticing Alice was already on the taller platform on my right.

She waved, a friendly smile on her face, and giggled. "Why do you keep going ahead of me?!" I barked furiously. She shrugged, a smirk on her face, and continued on her way. I rolled my eyes and jumped onto the white pillars that rose up and down from the water, making my way carefully towards the platform.

Alice dropped down to the ground on the other side of the water and waved her arms around, watching the sleeves flap in the wind. I dropped down in front of her and crossed my arms. "Thanks for waiting." I growled under my breath sarcastically. She smirked and patted my head. "Don't be so mad about it. I promise I won't go ahead anymore." I nodded and we shook in agreement, walking up the stairs side by side.

We walked up some more stairs, an orange dragon carving on the wall, and stood on the platform. I watched Alice shrink down, examining the invisible path, and got back to regular size. "C'mon." she murmured and grabbed my hand, leading me down the path, periodically shrinking and grabbing my hand while small. I resisted the temptation to pick her up and squeeze her to death on how so adorable she was while small.

She jumped into the steam (pot?) and I followed, landing next to her, following her across another invisible path. We walked through some entrance and I looked around in shock. Some huts were destroyed and burning still, large blood splatters on the sand. I covered my mouth in horror and Alice just ignored it. "It's seems like this village was raided." she murmured and continued to walk. I ran up to her and grabbed her arm, placing my head against it.

She blushed slightly and looked down at me in surprise, then smirked. "Are you scared Brianna?" I shook my head no and opened my eyes slightly. "It's just sad." She smirked wider and we walked through a path, walking around a square pillar, Origami Ants chained to some Mahjong tiles. We entered an opening, origami huts surrounding us, some on fire and some not, and heard a loud buzzing noise.

A Samurai Wasp dropped down to the ground and raised its katana in the air, growling slightly. It flew towards us and raised its weapon in the air. Alice stabbed it in the chest and yelped when it sliced its weapon into her shoulder, its mask ripping off. I summoned up my fan and when it raised its katana into the air again to finish the attack, and I threw it at it, slicing the enemy in half. It made a long gasping noise and disappeared, my fan coming back.

I caught it and watched Alice hold the large red rose in her hand, her wounds healing. The rose disappeared along with her wound. Two more dropped down from the ground and we looked at each other, nodding, and grinned wickedly.

***too graphic for younger viewers***

I wiped the blood off my Hanfu and Alice just let the blood drip down her face and onto her kimono. "That was fun." I smiled and walked away, the nineteen year old following behind. The large dark red wood gate opened and we walked through it. We walked up to the ledge and noticed the white pillar far below. Before I was about to jump, she set her hand in front of me and looked down at me slightly. "You stay here. I'll go get this cleared and then we can go."

I nodded slowly and watched her take out the Teapot Cannon, shooting a tea grenade towards the weak honeycomb wall, busting it. She jumped over the ledge and floated towards the small room. Alice carefully landed in the room and walked up to the chain, pulling it. Two tiles dropped down to the bottom of the room entrance and she walked onto them, motioning for me to go with her head.

I nodded and smiled at her gratefully, jumping onto the now higher pillar and then into the steam pot…vase thing. I landed in the entrance of the opening and saw that she was already floating in the steam. Alice grinned and landed next to me and we walked into the opening, even more on fire huts around us.

Four Samurai Wasps dropped down to the ground and right as I got out my weapon, she already killed two with the Teapot Cannon, smashing the Hobby Horse against one, killing it. "You know I can help!" I called as she got out of the dodge, the wasp following. She smirked and cut off its head with the Vorpal Blade. "I know."

"Then why does it seem like you try to kill every enemy before I can?!"

Alice was silent and finally looked at me. I tensed up as she walked towards me, her cold green eyes just staring at me. I yelped when I was pulled closely towards her, her hand on my head, pushing it down slightly. "Because if I let you fight these guys and you get seriously hurt, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." she whispered in reply, hugging me tighter. I grew silent and finally nodded, watching her pull away and stand up.

"Let's go." Alice smiled and grabbed my hand, leading me through the path and down the slanted stairs. We jumped onto the lowest invisible platform and shrunk down. "Now look closely." she informed and held me still, pointing up at the statues that breathed fire. "The second and first go at different times. Make sure to go through them quickly. I'll let you go first so you can make it safely."

I nodded and got back to my normal size, quickly dodging the fire and made it to the first successfully. I jumped onto the second and into the third, looking at her, waving her over. Alice nodded and swiftly and quickly made it through the fire breathing statues, landing next to me. She easily destroyed the comb wall and jumped into the room, pulling the chain. I watched a pillar rise up and two steam pots float down, one higher than the other.

I jumped onto the pillar and made my way through the steam, Alice slowly following behind, and landed on a tile. We jumped onto a platform and Cheshire appeared, grinning while looking down at us. "She who saves a single soul saves a universe, remember?" Alice nodded her head and I slowly shook mine. He ignored it and disappeared.

We walked through the gate and two Samurai Wasps dropped down to the ground, their katanas ready. I looked at her and she nodded at me. I smiled and grinned, taking out the Octo Grinder, and when one flew at me, I shot it quickly, breaking off its mask and killed it. The other rushed from the side and I threw my fan at it, cutting its head clean off, catching it on the way back.

I hugged her but the celebration didn't last long because a rude ass Daimyo Wasp dropped down to the ground and swung its double bladed staff around, snarling at us. Our eyes widened and I backed up slightly, laughing nervously. It flew into the air and spun the staff quickly, saying some dumb thing. Alice got out the Teapot Cannon and shot it before it could slam into the ground. It yelped and fell to the ground, dizzy. She rushed towards it and started stabbing it repeatedly, tearing off every armor piece one by one.

Meanwhile, I was hyperventilating in the corner.

With one smash of the Hobby Horse, it was defeated. "It's done!" Alice called and sighed in relief. I nodded and stood up, walking towards her. For some odd reason, the Daimyo Wasp's weapon didn't disappear. "How odd…" I whispered and kneeled down, looking at it. It was longer than Alice slightly. I looked up at her and she nodded and I turned back towards the weapon.

I shakily reached down and grabbed it hesitantly, standing up when nothing happened. "Huh." I murmured and looked at her. Alice smiled and nodded, walking backwards, standing at a far distance. I twirled it around slightly and swung it from the sides, having a hard time from the weight of it, and finally got the hang of it.

We looked up as the gate opened, showing a large wooden temple there, some badly injured Origami Ants on the steps and inside it. We looked at each other and shrugged, walking through it and up the stairs, into the building, a large gas pot or candle whatever the hell it is, in front of us. The gates closed behind us and I looked around. Some ants stood in front of the thing, saying prayers. "Are they the chosen ones?" an ant asked curiously.

"Our savior?" another asked.

"Our benefactor!" one cried out.

We walked around a corner from our right and into a small room. Some Origami Ants laid up against the wall and looked at us in surprise. "It's Alice!" one proclaimed with hope in his voice. "The magnificent, the powerful, the brave, the reckless, the rash, the crazy, the imprudent!" I looked up at her as we walked out of the room and she blushed slightly. "You have a lot of names Alice." I informed and looked away. We walked past the weird statue thing and an ant looked at us. "Speak with the elder."

"Yes you two really must!" another informed. "He knows things. He even thinks things."

We walked down the stairs and up the two stone stairs, walking up to the edge. One by one, we made it across the Mahjong tile and into the opening, some more puzzle pieces everywhere. We looked around and I noticed the Elder Ant on top of some rocks. "Your victories in combat and conundrums suggest your fitness to confront the challenges ahead. Mental strength will confirm your worthiness, or declare your defeat."

The visible pieces disappeared and reappeared in the puzzle and I watched her run up to the piece in plain sight. I ran up the slanted rock and shrunk down, running through the keyhole and into the large room. I walked around the curve and touched the piece, making it disappear. Alice ran across the sand and around the rock, destroying the comb wall with the Hobby Horse. She ran into the room and around the corner, getting the next missing piece.

I landed on the ledge above the pink mushroom spring and brought out the Daimyo weapon and poked the honeycomb wall, jumping when it shattered from a Teapot Cannon splash. I turned around quickly and Alice smiled at me, nodding. I nodded back and ran into the room, water pouring out of the ceiling, water covering my feet.

A Samurai Wasp appeared and raised its katana in the air, flying towards me. I yelped and dodged it, swinging the weapon furiously, cutting its head off. I put my bottom lip out and furrowed my eyebrows. 'Wow, that was gay.'

I touched the piece (don't ask me how I did) and walked out of the room, seeing Alice already finished solving it. I dropped down to the ground and ran up to her, the Elder Ant looking at us in surprise. "You two can save us, I'll open the path!" The gate opened and we nodded a thanks at him, running through it. We walked down the stairs and looked around.

"I'll let you go first." Alice nudged my side and urged me on. I looked at the obstacles and nodded slowly, jumping down onto the tile. I jumped into the steam and twirled towards the next and in a knick of time, got to the tile. I jumped to the next Mahjong tile and waited for the other, walking onto that one, and floated towards the rocky platform, landing safely. She repeated the same steps, landing next to me.

I sighed and we walked up the stairs and towards the Elder Ant who was standing next to a blocked off path. "The wicked wasps lay siege above us and control the Peaks to East and West. You two must defeat them to reach Caterpillar's retreat." Alice sighed and looked at him. "I suppose we must go to the mountain top, as it won't come to us." I nodded and he looked away.

"We have faith that Caterpillar, the strange and wondrous, helps those in need. One day, we'll have proof. Purity of heart is to will one thing. To approach his sacred aerie, you must confront the savage Daimyos who prevent our access to his power. I'll open the entrances to the Sacred Caves, where your journey begins."

We watched him walk out of the way and the entrance door rose up. We walked towards it and Alice slid down it first, me following. We landed with a quiet thud and I looked around. "Is this a map where we are?" I asked curiously. She nodded and walked up to the painting, being transported into it. "Alice!" I screamed and ran up to the painting.

She dropped down to the ground in the painting and looked at me. "What're you waiting for? Come on!" I shook my head and backed up, screaming when her hand reached through the painting quickly and grabbed my neckband, pulling me into the painting.

**I'm sorry if it was too long of a wait for this chapter!**


	13. After the Scroll of Happy Times

I looked around at my surroundings and then at my hands. They had an odd paint style to them. _"Regard this depiction of domestic harmony and order. The fruitful landscape encouraged industry, tolerance, and cooperation, loving families flourished. Happy children and dear friends grateful for their well-being, lived for generations, secure, active, and free. But a sudden onslaught of alien attacks broke their fragile bodies and nearly crushed their generous spirits." _Caterpillar murmured. (We then had to go through the Scroll of Happy Times.)

Alice walked out of the painting and I followed behind, not feeling normal anymore. "Ugh, why do I feel so odd now?" I questioned and shuddered for no reason. She faced me and shrugged, her hands in the air and her bottom lip out. I smirked and rolled my eyes. "I don't feel odd. I don't know what's wrong with you." she muttered and began to walk away.

I jogged up to her and it was silent after that. We walked up to the edge of the carved path and the opening closed behind us, Cheshire appearing on the left corner. "Only the foolish believe suffering is just wages for being different." I tilted my head and he looked at me as he disappeared. "Is he talking about the ants?" Alice nodded and frowned, crossing her arms. "They suffer from the wasps' attacks and think of it as wages. What they don't realize is how much danger they're in."

I nodded slowly in understanding and watched her jump onto the square carved platform in front of us, a long wide scroll in front of us, the writing moving and some shooting fire. "Just watch very closely." she called as she looked over her shoulder at me. "When I get across, I want you to do the exact same thing." I nodded in agreement and watched her run and jump over the fire words in the middle, not even getting scratched.

I squeaked in fright when a Samurai Wasp Archer flew up quickly and got out an arrow, placing it in the bow it held. Alice gritted her teeth in annoyance and got out the Pepper Grinder, shooting it quickly, and finally killed it after the shots broke through its chest. It gasped and fell back, its wings not even moving.

The nineteen year old jumped and quickly turned around, the Vorpal Blade in her grasp. I squeaked in fright and backed up, tripping on my foot. "Brianna?" She sighed in relief and put the weapon away. "Don't startle me like that." I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up, patting my shoulder. She looked around and noticed a chain up ahead. "Stay here okay. I don't want you getting hurt."

I didn't say anything and just watched her jump into the steam and land on the circular platform in front of me. Two Wasp Archers dropped down from the ground and got their bows ready, aiming it at her. She raised her upper lip and shot them both with the Teapot Cannon, instantly killing the enemies. I looked around and noticed one far away from us, just doing nothing, near the next scroll.

I got out my fan and opened it up, throwing it at it with all my might, hoping that it would make it. I heard a soft scream (it really doesn't sound like a scream but more like a gasp) coming from the enemies direction. I watched its two halves split apart and fall back. I caught my weapon and smiled slightly, closing it and put it away.

I heard a whistle and looked at Alice. She waved me over and smiled. "Alright, you can come now." I smiled and jumped into the steam and landed on the walkway, twirling towards the platform she was on. Alice smiled at me when I landed next to her and we went on our merry way. We landed on the circular platform that had the scroll connected to it and I swear to god the words were moving much faster.

She jumped over the middle ones quickly and she yelped when her leg was burnt when she reached the end near the door. "Alice! Are you alright?!" I shouted in concern, making my way towards her. She looked away and sat down, the door opening. "It's just a burn. It isn't that bad Brianna." I kneeled down in front of her and raised the bottom of her kimono.

Alice blushed light red and I picked up her burnt leg. It wasn't that burnt like charcoal, but it was more like 2nd turning into 3rd degree. I frowned and looked closer at her leg, hoping it wasn't infected. It wasn't and I sighed in relief. "Why aren't I wearing anything underneath this?" she asked quietly. I blushed pink and rubbed the back of my head, noticing that she didn't have any tights on.

"Well," I replied, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "Kimonos and Hanfus aren't really the type of clothing to wear anything underneath them. It's just how Japanese people wore them back then." She nodded and heard the sound of ripping fabric, looking at me. I tore some of my sleeve off with my fan and wrapped it around the wound, tying it gently so that it didn't hurt her.

Alice stood up and stood awkwardly, trying not to put any pressure on the wound and I stood up as well. She tensed up as I walked closer to her and grabbed her arm, placing it around my shoulder. We were silent as we walked into the room. We walked down the stairs and an Archer Wasp aimed its bow at us. I got out my fan and threw it at it, slicing off its head. It fell into the darkness and we dropped to the ground, Alice yelping when we touched the ground.

I sighed in relief when I noticed a shrinking violet next to us and I looked at her sternly. "You will stay here and shrink inside that flower so that wound can heal up okay?" She looked away and then back at me. "But you might need help and I don't want you to go alone."

"Shrink!" I snapped, pointing at the flower.

I shrunk down and jumped onto the invisible path, not even caring to look back. I ran onto the moving platforms quickly and made it across successfully, running through the opening. A Samurai Wasp appeared and got its katana ready. I got out the staff weapon I got from the Daimyo Wasp and raised it in the air, the Samurai Wasp lowering its katana and began to back up.

I slammed it against the ground, a shockwave forming or whatever the hell it was when a Daimyo Wasp does that move in the air, and hit the enemy, tearing it in half. I smirked and walked around the corner, noticing a chain and a bottle labeled Alice. I walked up to the chain and pulled it down, letting it go.

Alice jumped when steam rose up from the pot and sighed.

I walked up to the bottle and looked at it. 'It says Alice….but what would happen if I picked it up?' I thought and tested it out. Nothing happened.

I walked out of the room and noticed the shrinking violet was still there. "Why didn't you heal yourself?" I called in confusion as I made my way across the invisible path. She smiled as she stood up and looked at me. "Maybe I just like being a pain in the ass."

I smirked and jumped into the steam, landing on the walkway in front of her. Alice limped up to the edge of the walkway she was on and twirled towards the steam pot, landing next to me carefully. I looked at her and handed her the bottle, making it disappear in her grasp. "When I was in the room, I saw this and decided to give it to you."

She watched it disappear and she looked at me, bringing me into a gentle hug. "Thank you Brianna. Thank you for wrapping up my leg too." I pulled away and nodded, smiling at her. "Let's go, who knows how much time we have."

Alice nodded and I placed her arm around my shoulder, walking out of the room. The door behind us closed as a Samurai Ink Wasp broke out of the writing on a carved stone in front of us. A Samurai Wasp appeared and flew straight towards us. Alice dodged away from me and I shoved my spear weapon straight through its mouth and pulled with all my might, tearing off its head.

One by one, Alice destroyed the stones with the cursed ink writing on it, stopping the Ink Wasps from coming back. I grabbed all of the roses I could and walked up to her. She looked at me and got the idea, sitting down. I raised the bottom of her kimono and unwrapped the cloth around the wound. She watched as I gently pressed the roses against the wound and she groaned, feeling much better than before.

"Thank you." Alice murmured and I smiled as I watched the wound heal up. "It's no problem." After it was completely healed she stood up and I stood up as well. The door already opened and a pink mushroom spring already appeared. One after the other we landed on the platform above us and ran through the opening.

A Wasp Archer dropped down and instantly fired an arrow at us. She killed it with a single blow of the Teapot Cannon. A Samurai Wasp appeared and I jumped towards it, my spear in the air. Alice destroyed the stone and the Ink Wasp and turned just in time to see me slice the enemy in half.

"Damn!" Alice called mockingly. I laughed and smiled, looking away in embarrassment. She ran onto the mushroom spring and was flung into the air, landing directly on the pressure pad. "Go on. Just wait for me." she called, the giant thing moving.

I nodded and ran into the thing. She set a Clockwork Bomb down on the pressure pad and jumped off, running into the thing I was in and detonated it. It moved around and got back to the original spot it was in, the path now unblocked.

We walked along the path and a blue mushroom appeared. We looked at each other and nodded, jumping onto it one after the other, a bright light blinding us.

Matthew sat silently on the Dollmaker's desk, swinging his legs slightly. "What's wrong my boy?" the Dollmaker asked curiously. He said nothing. The man growled and poked his head with his finger. "Don't touch me." Matthew growled silently. He raised an eyebrow and laughed out loud. "Oh please Reaper. I would never listen to you."

The boy growled and stood up, jumping off the desk. "Where do you think you're going boy?!" the Dollmaker snapped and grabbed the hood of his cloak, pulling him off his feet. He yelped and kicked his legs frantically. "Let go of me you fucker!" The man laughed in amusement and held him in front of his face. "Listen carefully Reaper. I don't enjoy having to babysit you. Why don't you just go out and spend some time above ground."

He set Matthew down and he walked up to the edge of the desk. "But I don't want to." Matthew murmured and looked back at him.

"OUT!"

He yelped and jumped off the desk, sprinting away.

We walked side by side on the VERY large table thing, looking around. "Wow, this is the biggest table I've ever seen." I murmured. Alice nodded and stepped on the pressure pad, the drawers pulling out. I jumped onto each and a Samurai Wasp appeared on the wooden walkway in front of the one below me and I threw my fan at it, killing it. I floated down onto it and Alice followed, detonating the Clockwork Bomb.

When we turned a corner, another appeared and it gasped and died when Alice threw the Vorpal Blade at it. "Those guys are annoying." I nodded in agreement and jumped to the next walkway. We ran down it and onto the platform and up the stairs. We tensed up when two Samurai Wasps appeared, along with two Archer Wasps, a Daimyos Wasp, and an Ink Wasp formed out of the ink on a stone.

(A fight too graphic for younger viewers happens)

Alice walked up the stairs and destroyed the dried up ruin, setting a Clockwork Bomb on it. A wooden thing next to it rose up and she jumped onto it and then to a stone platform next to it, standing on the pressure pad. The drawers pulled out and she jumped onto each quickly, standing in front of the fish statue, and pulled the chain.

I watched the weird wooden walkway things move and land in front of me, a steam pot rising up. Alice floated down towards me and landed gracefully next to me. We ran and jumped onto the walkway and ran towards the edge, jumping into the steam one after the other, going around the long stream of water.

We landed on the platform and she walked up to the edge, shrinking down. I walked up to her and she got back to normal size. "Follow me." Alice murmured and dropped down, landing on an invisible platform. I followed and we did the same thing until we reached the platform with another pressure pad on it. She set a Clockwork Bomb on it and the wooden thing below us flipped open, a pink mushroom on it. I jumped on it and landed on a wooden platform with a fish on it, and pulled the chain.

A random Mahjong tile moved towards the walkways that just floated down, creating another walkway for us. Alice jumped onto it and jumped onto the walkway, turning around to face me. I dropped down and landed on it safely.

I jumped onto the walkway and we went on our merry way. We turned a corner and jumped onto the half circle platform and then jumped onto the ledge higher above it. We walked down the path and up to the door that had Liddell above it. I opened it and let her go first closing the door. This time she didn't hold my hand to lead me through it, but I followed the sound of her footsteps.

"Dynah saved my life! I survived because, she showed me how to escape." Alice muttered to herself. "I didn't leave the lamp in the library and Dynah didn't knock it over! The lamp and Dynah were upstairs when I went to bed. Dynah was in the room with me when the fire started!" I listened closely and felt really bad for her.

We walked out of the door and I closed it behind me. We jumped to the platform that had two pots and a walnut on it and then floated down towards the ground below it. I looked at the crowd and frowned. Three Samurai Wasps were beating up three Monk Ants while one more was cowering against a bell.

We looked at each other and nodded, running up the stairs to kill the enemies and save the poor ants. Blood splattered against the ground and the Monk Ants began to crawl away. After a few minutes the last Samurai Wasp dropped to the ground and died.

The injured ants groaned and winced in pain. "This is terrible!" the unharmed Monk Ant yelped. "Oh great Caterpillar, why have you abandoned us? The door ahead is sealed. Only by playing the correct sequence of bells can it be opened."

"A dubious honor I suspect?" Alice murmured and jumped onto the ledge across from them and turned around, beginning to push the bells, making them chime. She repeated that two times. "The tune's embedded in my memory. Like "Twinkle twinkle little bat"." she murmured and we watched the path become unblocked.

"Get to the tree Alice and friend. Help our brothers!" one Monk Ant begged.

She dropped down to the ground and we ran up the stairs, through the hole/entrance, and up even more stairs. The Yin-Yang fish opened and we walked into the area. A Daimyo Wasp dropped down and some Ink Wasps broke out of the stones around us. She went after the Ink Wasps and I went after the Daimyo Wasp. It wasn't that hard but still pretty hard.

After we were done, the weird thing with the head on top rotated and we walked into it and out the other side. We walked along the path and onto the blue mushroom spring, an even brighter light blinding us.

The insane child leader hummed slightly to herself as she drew on a wall near Fort Resistance. "What're you doing?" a voice questioned, making her jump in fright and look around. She looked up and her eyes widened (is that even possible anymore?) at what she saw. Matthew was laying on his stomach, his legs swinging. "Y-you! What're you doing here?!" she yelped and tripped, backing up in fear.

He raised his eyebrows in amusement and laughed. Matthew stood up and lowered the hood of his cloak. He grabbed the mask and grunted and winced in pain as he slowly pulled it off, finally getting it off, and dropped it. She began to back up and quickly turned around to leave but ran into his legs.

"Do you think you could get away from me?"

The insane child leader screamed when he grabbed her arm and hoisted her into the air. "Let me go!" she screamed.

After going down the crane slide and through the puzzle type thing with all of the pillars, we walked through the water on the walkway when you get on the rocky part where the carved face was. Alice already killed the two Insidious Ruin enemies and we walked into the opening. Alice stomped on the two Slithering Ruins and I noticed two Drifting Ruins float up from the ruin that covered the area in front of us.

She killed them with the Teapot Cannon. I shrunk down and jumped onto the invisible platform, then onto the wooden one. Another Drifting Ruin floated up and when it showed its face, it exploded. I jumped and turned around, seeing Alice aim at the dried up ruin on the pressure pad and destroyed that.

I jumped onto the pressure pad and three pillars rose up. Alice jumped on the one nearest her and then to the next and jumped onto the platform with the chain on it. She walked up to it and pulled it down, making two white pillars rise up from the ruin. She jumped onto each and destroyed the honeycomb barrier and entered the small area.

I jumped onto each pillar and finally made it to the small wooden thing and stood inside it, waiting for her patiently. After setting a Clockwork Bomb on the pressure pad, two more pillars rose up and we jumped to each, successfully making our way across.

We ran along the path and two Samurai Wasps dropped down to the ground. It took about two minutes and we finally killed them, making our way up the stone stairs and into the large ass tree. We walked along the hall and up to the Elder Ant. "A bridge will complete the path but this substance has blocked the way! Can you two help us to remove it?" the Elder Ant asked.

"I believe we got the proper tool." Alice smirked and looked down at me.

"At the top of the mountain, you will find the entrance to the next Sacred Cave."

We dropped down to the ground and a Menacing Ruin formed, snarling, along with three Insidious Ruins. I went after the smaller enemy (not by choice) when Alice rushed towards the bigger enemy.

Snarls filled the air and ruin splattered against the walls and the ground. After that was done, she destroyed the dried ruin barrier, allowing the Monk Ants to get out. "We're saved!" one called happily. "Our benefactor!" another praised.

"You're free my friends!" Alice smiled.

The Monk Ants walked up to the weird thing in the middle of the room and began to say prayers. A pink mushroom spring appeared and I jumped onto it first, the nineteen year old following.

We landed on the curved wooden platform and continued. "Shouldn't we get the pig snout?" I asked curiously. "That can wait." Alice replied. We flew into the air after walking on the pink mushroom and landed in the part I hated the most. The room where ruin poured out of the ceiling and there was an endless amount of Drifting Ruins.

We jumped onto the Mahjong tiles, dodging the hardened ruin coming from the enemies and made it to the other side. I ran up to the chain and pulled on it, Alice deflecting the attacks with the umbrella. The pots that were in the air began to blow out steam. "Hurry, we made it here quickly and we can make it back quickly!" she called and jumped onto each tile quickly.

I followed behind and one after the other, we floated to each steam pot, running on a path to get to the third one. We landed on the platform above the ruin pool and she destroyed the dried ruin barrier with the Hobby Horse, the Monk Ants bowing. Alice followed after I was launched off the pink mushroom, landing on the platform above the one below us.

We did the same thing to the next two ones, killing an Insidious Ruin on the second, and finally got to the last one, being launched off the blue mushroom.

The top of the tree opened and we floated down, the opening closing. A lot of Monk Ants were saying the same prayer, bowing. I watched some fans fly over us, wind whipping my hair and Hanfu around. We walked up to them and Cheshire appeared, sitting in front of the Elder Ant. "The grateful most often confer benefit to the source if their gratitude." I tilted my head in confusion and he seemed to have seen.

He got down from the thing the Elder Ant was standing on and walked towards me, sitting in front of me. "Freedom is so precious to some that they pay for it with their lives." Cheshire murmured, looking me in the eye. I got it and nodded. "Now I get it." Alice smirked as he disappeared and walked up to the edge.

"Let's go Brianna."

"Coming."

I followed her and we jumped onto each fan. I felt my legs feel weak because I HATE heights. Ever been to Castle Rock near the Mackinaw Bridge? There's one that I hate so much. We made our way across the fans, me taking my time since I will always hate heights. We finally made it to the rocky part and landed on the ground. We ran along the path and jumped onto the ledge in front of us, jumping into the steam one after the other and floated down towards the two fans connected together.

Alice jumped into the steam first and I followed, landing on the curved walkway. We both jumped and floated across the gap and landed safely on the other side. We then had to jump across another LARGE gap. I landed next to her and saw them weird statues that breathe fire spinning.

"Observe, learn, and react." Cheshire murmured, making us both jump. He grinned and disappeared. "You could've at least given us a warning ya jerk." I growled and sighed. After some debating, I was made to stay there while Alice went through the place. She already got across the gap and through the fire and destroyed the comb barrier.

She pulled the chain and looked around. I noticed a statue rise up in front of a keyhole and two pillars rise out of the water. "It's safe Brianna. You can come over now!" Alice called and waved me over. I nodded and jumped onto each pillar. She dropped down to the ground and I landed next to her.

On the count of three, she bolted under the statue when it rose up and shrunk, successfully getting past it, and I did the same. We ran out the other side right before another dropped down. We ran up the stairs and into the smaller room, the entrance closing behind us. Two Archer Wasps appeared along with two Samurai Wasps. I Shot the Archer Wasps with the Octo Grinder, killing them in about five seconds.

Alice smashed the Hobby Horse against the two Samurai Wasps and after about seven blows, they both died. We laughed and sighed, having a lot of fun. We jumped and twirled towards the next entrance, clearly ignoring the bridge. We walked into the area and down the path, the nineteen year old destroying the honeycomb barrier.

We walked up to the ledge, watching the statue turn around while breathing fire nonstop. "Stay here." Alice informed and dropped down to the ground, running around the thing and jumped onto the slanted platform. "Be careful!" I shouted, hoping she would hear me. "Always!" she called back, making me smile.

She destroyed the honeycomb barrier with a now fully upgraded Hobby Horse, walking up to the fish statue, and pulled the chain. I sighed in relief when three pillars rose up next to me, knowing she was okay and not dead.

Alice walked out of the room and studied the statues that breathed fire closely, planning on how she would get across. When the first and third lowered, she jumped onto them, the middle statue breathing fire, then jumped to the second pillar, the first and third statue breathing fire, and finally got to the last pillar, jumping on the foothold and onto the pressure pad. The entrance in front of the rotating statue opened and I quickly jumped onto the ground, sprinting into the entrance and stopped, turning to look at her,

She was already running towards me and pushed me along when she detonated the Clockwork Bomb, almost getting burned again. We slid down the slide and into the room with the painting and map. "Alright we're almost there." I smiled and watched her walk into the painting, and I followed.


	14. After the Scroll of Dark Skies

I was again an awful painting along with Alice and I crossed my arms. _"The belligerents, without true cause or purpose, abused and murdered their pacific victims, whom they hated for being different. The invaders corrupted the vivid world. The assaulted could not comprehend the merciless brutality. Still, they stayed on, trying to placate their oppressors and recover their past. The cruel interlopers attacked at intervals, instead of killing them all at once. The wretched survivors suffered in perpetual fear. Is there a worse fate?"_ Caterpillar murmured and I looked around as we ran, homes on cliffs collapsing. (We then made our way through the Scroll of Dark Skies.)

We walked out of the painting and down the walkway, dropping down to the ground, the entrance closing. Two Menacing Ruins formed out of the ground along with two Insidious Ruins. I faced one Menacing and one Insidious and Alice did the same. After five minutes, they were killed.

I cracked my back and smirked, stretching. She yawned and watched the gates in front of us open. She let me go first and I jumped into the steam, landing on a Mahjong tile and jumped to the next, jumping and landing on the ground. The place wasn't as pretty anymore, in fact, it had an orange tint everywhere now. Alice followed and landed next to me.

A Monk Ant stood on a ledge on a wall and looked at us. "Once more, the shadow dragon winds along the path. Follow the dragon Alice and friend." We nodded and she smiled, looked away, her arms behind her back. "Ah, I see how it goes. Makes perfect sense really! At least now it does." The puzzle pieces in front of us disappeared and reappeared inside the puzzle.

I ran along the path and turned a corner, running down a longer path and through an entrance. I shrunk down and memorized where the invisible platforms were. I jumped onto each and made it to the top of the pillar, touching the puzzle piece. I ran out of the room and on the pink mushroom spring, landing on a ledge, and shrunk down and walked into the keyhole.

I got out on the other side and realized that I also needed the Clockwork Bomb in this room too. "Dammit." I grunted and ran up the slanted rock and onto the pink mushroom, landing on the platform above. I heard chuckling and looked around, seeing Cheshire walk up to the pressure pad behind me. "Why is it that when you look for puzzle pieces, you get into a room that you need help on Brianna?" Cheshire asked, amusement in his voice.

I rolled my eyes and looked at him. "Can you please help me this time too?" I asked. He grinned and chuckled. "This is the last time Brianna." I smiled as he sat down on it and the entrance thing that blocked the rock rose up, showing the puzzle piece. I walked onto the mushroom and landed on the platform and walked up to the piece, touching it.

I looked at the ant lady statue and shuddered. "That's so disturbing." Cheshire chuckled, grinning, and disappeared.

Alice already got the puzzle piece from the room with the nonstop Slithering Ruins and looked around, still in the same room, watching the things closely. She jumped into the steam and floated down onto a Mahjong tile, and jumped to the one in front of it. She got into the room and she cocked an eyebrow when she saw the ant lady lying down, holding something in her mouth. "Woah, freaky." she murmured and walked around it, setting a Clockwork Bomb on the pressure pad. She shrunk down and jumped onto the invisible platform and jumped onto the stone ledge, touching the puzzle piece.

The puzzle pieces rose up and I moved them around, turning around to see Alice walk up to me. I finished the puzzle and the gate opened. "The gate is opened. Now it appears that we can continue our assent to the peak." Alice smiled and patted my shoulder. We ran through the gate and down the path, stopping when we saw a bunch of hanging things, some holding Origami Ants.

"You first madam." the nineteen year old smiled and bent over, her hand on her chest. I smiled and stepped onto the first one, taking a small jump to the second. I stumbled slightly from the fact that they were moving too. Some Wasp Archers floated down and aimed at me. I summoned the Octo Grinder and shot one, twirling to the next thing, and jumped to the next one when it moved next to me.

When it neared the steam pot, I jumped into the steam and landed on the stone walkway. Alice followed and landed next to me. I quickly shot the next Archer Wasp and killed it. I jumped onto the first thing that lowered in front of us. I then jumped to the next, looking around. "It's not enough that they abuse and murder us! They let their spawn feed on our rotting corpses!" a Monk Ant snarled in anger.

I felt bad and Alice poked my head, making me jump. "Go on. We need to get going." she murmured. I nodded in understanding and jumped into the steam and landed on another cage thing, jumping in another steam pot, and landed on the ground, Alice following. We walked towards the stairs and two Samurai Wasps dropped down to the ground, katanas in hand.

I went after one, slicing it in half with the spear, and Alice stabbed the other one with the Vorpal Blade repeatedly. After that we walked through the entrance, seeing a giant ass frog sleeping and a cage next to it. "You there. Come close." a Monk Ant muttered and looked down at us. "I can recite "Red Riding Hood" backward. I know my multiplication tables to 11s, I-I have intelligence."

"Really?" she questioned. "Persuade us."

"To remove the obstruction, wake the frog and empty his belly."

"Wake that? What about its tongue? And the prospect of warts? Anyway, how do you know?"

It was silent for a moment and looked away. "I imagined how it was done…while I was sleeping."

We looked at him in shock and I rolled my eyes. Two Samurai Wasps dropped down to the ground and a Colossal Ruin ripped out of the ground. The nineteen year old summoned the Teapot Cannon and hit the two wasp enemies, killing them. She then aimed at one carved stone, destroying it, and destroyed the other stone.

I summoned my fan and threw it at the ruin enemy, tearing out four faces. She charged the Teapot Cannon and when most of the faces were shone, she fired it, destroying them all. It snarled and lowered itself, making an odd noise. A huge doll face appeared and a large nozzle shot fire out of it. I screamed and it yelped when the face was blinded with hot tea, making the fire attack stop. Alice ran up to it and stabbed it aggressively with the Vorpal Blade, killing it after a few minutes.

It melted into the ground and she jumped over a fallen stone piece and shrunk down, walking into the keyhole. She got on the other side and was flung into the air after walking on a pink mushroom. She landed next to a fish statue and pulled on the chain.

The ruin dried on the gong and the odd stick thing spun around the bar and hit it, making a loud ring. Its eyes shot open and it coughed up some circular thing, destroying the wall behind where we were. We walked out of the area and down the stairs, through the opening. We jumped over the gap and landed on the other side, Alice destroying the honeycomb wall.

We ran along the path and dropped down to the ground, looking around. Two Archer Wasps appeared along with a Samurai Wasp. With three hits, the Samurai Wasp was killed from the Hobby Horse and I shot the two archers with the Octo Grinder. The honeycomb ground area was destroyed with the Hobby Horse and we dropped down to the ground.

Alice destroyed another wall with the Hobby Horse and we walked into the room and up to the keyhole, shrinking, and walked into it. We got into the small room and she destroyed the ground with the Clockwork Bomb and we dropped down into another area. Cheshire appeared near us and grinned wickedly. "Only the savage regard the endurance of pain as the measure of worth."

We watched him disappear and we walked into the opening. We jumped onto the Mahjong tiles that moved in and out of the wall and then to the next and then onto the weird cage thing. I jumped into the steam and landed on a platform below it, doing the same to the next one, dodging the cage. Alice followed silently.

I jumped onto the two Mahjong tiles and then onto the platform and I jumped off, floating towards the large round platform below. I landed with a quiet thud and she landed next to me, grunting when her feet touched the ground. A bunch of Archer Wasps surrounded us, along with a lot of Samurai Wasps and a Daimyo Wasp.

I took out my fan and threw it at the Archer Wasps, slicing some of their heads clean off their bodies, and did the same to the other side. The nineteen year old shot a tea grenade at some Samurai Wasps, blood pouring out of her back from being hit by the Daimyo Wasp, and killed them but got hit in the face by the large wasp enemy.

She screamed as she was pushed back and hit the ground with a loud thud. "Alice!" I screamed, my eyes wide with fear. She struggled to get up and set one foot out in front of her quickly and arched herself forward, her dress and skin turning pitch white, her hair turning black, and her lower arms becoming covered in blood, and she let out a loud shriek.

Alice sprinted towards them and stabbed them all with the Vorpal Blade, blood squirting everywhere. One by one, they were sliced and cut open by the knife, killing them all. She gained roses and got out of her hysteria form, panting slightly.

The entrance to the hall rose up and she looked at me. "A-are you okay Alice?" I asked in concern, my voice quivering. She nodded and walked up to me. "I'm sorry you had to see that Brianna." I smiled and ran into the middle of the platform. "You're sorry?! Alice that was fucking awesome!" She looked at me in surprise and laughed, walking towards the stairs. "Come on Brianna." she giggled. "We need to see Caterpillar."

I nodded and ran up to her, walking up the stairs and into the hall. We slid down the short stone slide and land in the room with another painting in it. We walked up to the painting and looked at each other. "You ready Brianna?"

"Definitely."

We walked towards it even closer and walked into it.


	15. The Caterpillar

"_A restless seeker on private business arrived in the misery infested land. She, despite ignorance, uncertainty, and unhappiness in her own life, could not endure to see them suffering. She began to fight against the savage murderers, abusers, and defilers without quite knowing why or for whose sake she truly fought, or how the struggle would end."_ Caterpillar murmured. I looked at Alice and noticed that her head was lowered and her fists clenched. (We then made our way through the Scroll of Destiny.)

We walked out of the room side by side and up the curved stairs. We then started to run along the walkway near the cliff side. We soon ran on some stairs and turned a corner, running up some more stairs. We ran across the ground and up the stairs and into the large room where a statue of Caterpillar was.

"We've come all this way to find a simulacrum?" Alice questioned and placed her hands on her hips. "If I had the time, I'd detail how often you prefer dealing with illusions rather than the real thing. Problems you refuse to deal with don't exist! You deny reality!" Caterpillar replied.

"That's not right! I know what's real!"

"No, and you allow others to tell you what isn't real. Now…come inside."

The floor beneath us began to crack and break apart until I noticed that we fell through the floor and into what seemed like the basement to the room above. We floated down towards the ground and I looked up at the giant cocoon in front of us. Our feet touched the ground and Alice began to walk towards the slanted walkway. I ran up to her and looked around.

"My memories are shattered." Alice murmured as she walked. "This wicked train has ruined nearly all I can recall. And Wonderland will perish completely as I lose my mind. So much has changed. I can't help Wonderland if I can't help myself!"

"Much has changed," Caterpillar began. "But you've got it backwards! Save Wonderland and you may save yourself. The Carpenter was on to something, but he was hiding from the real. Your goal is to accept it." I closed my eyes and remembered him. He wasn't that bad but what should I know? He was just friendly to me but probably not to the others.

"Where should we go then? What should we do?" Alice asked in concern.

"The Queen must be served Alice. The Queen in all her guises, must always be served." he replied plainly. We soon reached the end of the walkway and near him. The room continued to shake and more rocks fell from the ceiling. Caterpillar's eyes flinched and they opened, looking at us.

"How can she stem this growing corruption or assist our search? What does she know that I don't?" Alice questioned and held me in front of her and shielded us both. "She is someone you once knew and loved. Time changes us all." he replied.

"Not all change is good." I informed.

"Remember that when you two find the Queen."

Our eyes widened when his wings ripped through the cocoon, his hookah shattering. A bright white light filled the room and I blacked out.

Alice's eyes opened slowly and she sat up, looking at her surroundings and then at the barred window. A butterfly flew outside the window. _"Time changes us all." _Caterpillar's words buzzed inside her head.


	16. Cardbridge

Alice's eyes opened slowly and she sat up, looking around. Some shouts coming from a man sounded off and she held her head. "Oy, you there! That's enough of that." a policeman snapped and looked at her. "Becomin' a regular at this nick Alice. What's it this time Fred?" Another walked up to him and looked at her.

"Howling outside the Old Lady, muttering about a murder in Threadneedle Street, cursing insects and the National Railroad. Had to bring her in didn't I?" Fred replied, looking at the blonde man. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "A menace to herself, but no danger to others surely. That little girl she was with seemed perfectly fine and so we sent her with Bumby but threw a fit, screaming that she wanted to stay with Alice. So he let her. It'd seem like a good sister type relationship, but she doesn't belong in gaol."

"Too true but where then does she belong?" Fred asked curiously, his arms crossed. The blonde man looked at him and then at her. "Let's walk her out Fred. Send her back to Dr. Bumby. He raised holy hell last time I kept her overnight." Alice raised her head to look at the two men talking about her.

"What happened?" Fred asked.

The blonde cop was silent and smirked, looking up at the ceiling. "Same night Jack Splatter, that waste of mother's love, was nabbed for gutting that heavy outside of the Mermaid. I was taking Alice down and we meet two coppers walking Jack to the cells. He's mouthing the usual "I never! Wrong bloke!" nonsense when he sees Alice. "That's the bitch what done it!" he yells. She screams: "You miserable cur! You leech! You maggot! Living off another's labor!" etcetera etcetera. I'm admiring her line of inquiry, but suddenly she hits her head or something and faints! Couldn't send her home could I?"

"And Dr. Bumby pitched a fit?" Fred asked, crossing his arms again.

"Said he'd have me job and me ass on a plate. Told him he could have the former. Leave the latter alone, thank you very much." Alice watched him open the gate to the cell she was in and looked at him. "Good night Alice. You know the way out." She walked out of the cell and looked at them, walking away.

She walked down the hall, passing some cops, and turned a corner, walking down the steep stairs, turning a sharp corner and down another flight of stairs. She walked through a doorway, seeing a cop standing near an open entrance, and walked through it. The room was full of people slightly crowding near a table type thing.

I looked up and my eyes grew wide in happiness when I saw her looking around. "Alice!" I shouted, making a woman jump, and threw myself at her. Alice yelped in fright and relaxed when she realized it was me. People looked at us in disgust and some sneered. "That child's hugging that lunatic girl." a little boy whispered up to the woman behind him.

The nineteen year old gave everyone the death glare and looked down at me with kind eyes. "Come on Brianna. We need to leave or else the cops might throw me in gaol again." I nodded and pulled away and everyone watched us walk down the short stairs and out the front entrance.

When we walked not even a foot away from the door, I noticed Alice stumble slightly and groan. "Alice, are you okay?" I asked in concern. She shook her head and dropped to her knees, falling onto her side. "Alice!" I yelped and rushed to her side. The ground beneath me cracked and we both fell into the dark.

I landed on my back and Alice landed on her feet, opening her eyes slowly. I grunted and stood up. "Jeez, that sucked." I growled in annoyance and walked behind her as we walked out of the cell. We walked side by side down the path, cells on each side with people inside them. I looked down the path farther and recognized it as the part where inside the tunnel was all skin and flesh.

I gagged when we walked into the heart shaped path, blood silently dripping off the ceiling. I let out a loud shriek (probably scaring Alice) when a tentacle wrapped around my ankle from a cell. "GETITOFFGETITOFF!" I shrieked and yanked my leg. A smirk crossed her lips and she grabbed my arm and gently pulled me along the path, the tentacle letting go.

I shivered and looked at her. "You're such a baby." Alice playfully teased. I glared at her through my bangs and we walked into the area with the T shaped platform on the edge of the ground. It was only wide enough so that you couldn't walk side by side. I slowly inched my way out on the thing, the flesh soaking my dress shoes.

The ground slightly shook and our eyes widened when three HUGE tentacles slowly rose up, the ground continuing to shake, and suddenly the T shaped platform collapsed. I felt like screaming my head off when I looked around as we fell, flesh and tentacles covering EVERYTHING.

After about five minutes of nothing new, I noticed that our surroundings began to change into blue. The tentacles and flesh disappeared, a blue sky and clouds replacing them. Alice looked around as well and noticed oversized cards flying around. A burst of energy shot through us, our dresses changing into our Wonderland dresses.

More cards flew around us and I flinched when my feet touched the ground. I looked down and shrieked when I looked down, making Alice jump. "Why do you keep screaming?!" she shouted and glared daggers at me. "I hate heights!" I whimpered.

"Then try not to fall off."

That made it worse. I took a deep breath and sighed, gulping. We walked closer to the edge of the card and I jumped when one flew down. "Jesus!" I whispered and sighed, running my fingers through my hair. Alice chuckled and jumped into the odd card made steam vent and floated in the air. Two more cards flew down and she landed on them, turning to face me. "Should I go ahead just so you can follow behind?" she questioned with a smirk.

I nodded and hesitantly jumped into the steam, landing next to her. "That's fine." I murmured quietly, still uneasy. We turned on a card and up a ramp and turned another. We walked down a ramp and jumped onto some more cards. We walked down another ramp and around the curved walkway. One after the other, we jumped onto a moving card and walked onto another curved walkway going down.

After we reached the end of the walkway, three cards flew down and made steps and we jumped onto each. Alice jumped into the steam and landed on some cards and I followed. I landed next to her and walked up to the edge, looking at the card slide, and I gulped. The nineteen year old smirked slyly as she got an idea and in moments, I was pushed.

I screamed at the top of my lungs as I quickly slid down the ramp, landing on the red up side card, being flung into the air. Four cards formed a platform and I shakily floated down on it, falling down when my feet touched the ground. "Alice I hate you!" I shouted.

She laughed as she slid down too and landed next to me. She placed her hand on my shoulder and pulled me up, leading me along the path and into the card castle…thing. The entrance was blocked off by some cards and I looked around, clearly impressed by the designs on the cards. I looked at a Queen card and then at Alice. "Alice….why does the Queen, King, and Jack cards look a lot like you?"

She just shrugged and walked into the opening.

I ran up to her and noticed that we were walking towards the closed off area with the Ace cards. They opened and revealed…nothing. I stood there and noticed that she walked towards the small ramp where a pressure pad was, and she stood on it. I shrunk down and saw an invisible platform rise down. "You go on ahead Brianna." she called.

I nodded and ran up to the other pressure pad, standing on it to open the entrance of the next card castle. I ran back into the closed off area and jumped onto it, somehow making it to the one above it, and sprinted down the path and floated towards the entrance, making it successfully. "C'mon Alice!" I shouted right before it closed.

Alice smirked and set a Clockwork Bomb down and ran to the other, standing on it for a second, and ran into the area and detonated the bomb, the platform rising up. I smiled happily as I watched her make her way towards it. In a few seconds, she dodged into the room right as the entrance closed. She sighed and looked at me, smiling. I smiled back and watched her stand up. "Are you feeling much better?" Alice asked.

I nodded and looked around. We walked out onto the curved path and onto the red spring card. I yelped when we plummeted towards card platforms and those flew away before we touched them and yelped when we landed on a platform, pain in my feet. And what do people do when they have pain in their feet? They run around and that's what I did.

Alice raised an eyebrow and watched me in amusement. "Let me guess, are your feet in pain?"

I nodded and finally stopped, the pain going away. "Ow." I murmured.

We ran down a path and jumped onto another card spring. We floated down towards the card thing and landed safely. I noticed Alice walk onto another card and into a steam vent, floating. She landed on a platform and stood on a pressure pad, looking towards me. I did the same, landing behind her.

Alice shrunk and walked up to the invisible platform, walking right on it. She got back to normal size and walked along it, taking a huge leap into the air and twirled towards the walkway in front of her with another pressure pad on it. She landing on it and a card castle formed quickly.

I did the same and she let me go first. I twirled and floated down and landed on the floor. Alice followed and landed in front of me. We walked down the walkway and turned, jumped down onto some cards, and did that three more times, only sliding down the third time. We hit the red card spring and flew into the air. We floated down towards another card castle in the distance and I sighed in relief when a large platform/walkway formed quickly.

We landed on it and walked up the ramp and towards the blue mushroom spring. One after the other we jumped onto it, going into the light.

We then appeared in another area but it was drastically different. Everything seemed old, brittle, and worn down. I heard a sound that sounded like sliding and noticed that Alice wasn't there. "What the hell!" I shouted. Alice giggled as she dodged ruin pools and crashed through dried up pustules, getting teeth.

After a few minutes of that, Alice landed on a cracked road or wide path. She walked along it and Cheshire appeared sitting on top of something. He grinned and noticed me dropping to the ground. "Good to have you joining us Brianna." he purred in amusement.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and walked up to the girl, glaring at her. Cheshire then looked at Alice and gave her a serious look but still grinning. "Back to admire your handy work? Returning to the scene of the crime?"

She placed her hands on her hips and looked up at him. "It had to be done cat, you said so yourself! "You and this Red Queen cannot both survive. She is a cancer in your body. Excise her, or perish."."

He looked away and grinned even wider. "Well she was the face of evil, in the Heart of Darkness."

"She didn't treat you too well last time; lost your head as I recall!"

"She was completely deranged, you picked up her crown! But now you've put it down. You two must speak to her; what's left of her anyway."

We watched him disappear and the thing he was sitting on collapsed. I then just remembered something. Alice's dress changed! I looked at her and my nose immediately curled in disgust. She was wearing the Hysteria dress and didn't seem to mind that she was WEARING FLESH.

I gagged and looked at my own. It was just like the Royal Suit but recolored. 'Way to be original Dunstan…' I thought and looked at it. We'll make this quick. Everything that was red on the Royal Suit was now blue, the hearts on the chest where a light blue, everything black was now white, everything gold/yellow was now silver/grey, the grey part of the dress was now dark grey, the apron was black with grey lines (like the original), I had black tights, and white boots.

"You know," Alice began. "Your dress reminds me of going to Wonderland when I was eighteen and went to the Pale Realm." I looked at her and tilted my head. 'That must've been the inspiration Dunstan thought for the dress.'

We then went on our way, dropping down to the road below us. _"Off with her head." _the Queen's words murmured through the wind, the end collapsed behind us. Another road higher above us collapsed onto another road in front of us.

We floated to the next piece. _"You're unwelcome…" _the Queen's words informed. The road cracked and we looked at each other. "Now's an awesome time to run like hell." I suggested. "Good plan." Alice murmured in agreement and then we ran like hell. We soon made it to the platform and three Insidious Ruins formed out of the ground.

Before Alice had any time to react, all three of them yelped and melted into the ground. She looked at me right as I caught my fan. "Holy." she whispered. "Sorry." I blushed in embarrassment.

"No don't be!"

I nodded and walked up to the pink spring, jumping on it. I landed on the road above and she followed, landing next to me. I let her go first this time as we made our way towards the large red heart shaped door.

It opened when we got onto the ground and we looked at each other, nodding, and walked into the opening. I tensed up when a Card Guard broke out of the ground, hissing, and instantly cracked both of its arms and then its neck, snarling at us.

Alice stood in front of me quickly and summoned the Pepper Grinder, shooting at the dead guard. In a few seconds, she killed it. After that, hoards of them ripped out of the ground and some ran towards us.

(Another scene too graphic for younger children happens.)

I watched Alice get out of Hysteria mode and walked up to me. "Let's go. You aren't injured are you?" I shook my head no and smiled, glad that she cared about my safety. We walked up to the walkway and walked onto it, turning a corner, and walked up to the bound up White King.

"The Red Kingdom's in ruins, but you're no better off." Alice observed and looked up at him. He looked down at us and frowned. "When you defeated her, I tried to reclaim the castle. But I was set upon by her monstrosities. The malignant royal bitch still reigns."

"We're here to petition her. We must get inside." she informed, her hands on her hips.

"The only way in is through me. Sacrifices must be made."

"People who say that usually mean they should be made by other people." I informed.

The White King looked down at me and raised his eyebrows slightly. "I've never seen you before. What's your name young lady?" I looked up and curtsied slightly. "Brianna sir." He smiled slightly and looked away. "That dress reminds me of a dress that was made in my kingdom but fell to the Red pieces." I frowned and looked away. "I'm sorry sir."

"Don't be. For the answer of your question: cynicism is a disease. It can be cured. Once inside, beware of the outsized killer who patrols her domain. Never confront him, he is invincible. Now cut me loose! I'll show you the meaning of sacrifice."

Alice summoned the Hobby Horse and he grew silent. I looked away and heard her smash it against the ground, the White King shattering.


	17. The Executioner being an asshole

I heard a loud whistle and I flinched, looking at the nineteen year old. Alice motioned me to come closer with her head and I nodded slightly. 'Poor White King.' I thought to myself and we walked down the hall, the large heart shaped door opening to the front entrance.

The portrait of the queen hung on the wall in a small room and we looked around. Alice stood on the pressure pad and looked at me, nodding. I nodded back and jumped onto the club symbol platform then the spade symbol and into the room. I took out the Octo Grinder and shot the pig snout. I then walked out of the room and onto another pressure pad, a steam vent rising up.

Alice jumped and twirled towards it and floated up into the air, floating down next to me. She walked into the room and smashed each dried up skin part in the floor and dropped down into the right one. She walked down the ramp and onto a pink mushroom spring. She landed next to a fist shaped chain and pulled it.

Out the corner of my eye, I noticed a steam vent rise up along with a spade platform. "Let's go." Alice informed, making me jump. "Jesus! Don't do that!" I barked, my heart pounding. She smirked and stepped on the pressure pad, pushing me. I yelped and twirled before I fell off the edge and made my way towards the steam vent. I then landed on the carpet in the front entrance and noticed Alice land near me.

I then jumped onto the platform and into the steam, landing on the walkway above. I waited for the nineteen year old and we walked down the stairs and turned a corner, walking into a room with a tall shelf with books. We walked down the red ramp and the ground rumbled as a pillar collapsed.

We heard the queen laugh and we went on our way. _"Off…with….her head…." _the queen murmured. We walked into a room and I squeaked in fright when seven Card Guards broke out of the ground, hissing and growling.

I brought out my fan and went after the red guards, cutting their heads off and sometimes slicing them in half. Alice brought down the Hobby Horse on a Card Guard that was lying on the ground, snarling and twitching, and killed it.

We laughed and sighed in relief. But the fun ended when an awful squishing sound filled the room and we looked at the wall. A scythe broke out of the flesh, blood spurting onto the ground, and the Executioner stepped out of the wall. He looked around and spotted us. I almost passed out when he screamed at us furiously and walked towards us, his scythe ready to kill us.

"Fuck no!" I screamed and we dodged just in time when he swung at us. I ran in circles and dodged and Alice shot him with the Teapot Cannon. He laughed and she growled. "I'm an idiot! Don Quixote had a better chance with his windmills. And without risk of decapitation!"

"A prudent exit is no less for being hasty." Cheshire murmured and the door opened. I thanked him and the two of us ran into the long hall, the door quickly closing. He already disappeared. We panted and laughed slightly. "What a joke." I teased as we walked down the hall.

The Executioner burst through the door, making me almost shit myself and scream, and turned to face us. "Oh," I muttered and we looked at each other. "HELL NO!" I shrieked as we sprinted side by side down the hall, Alice laughing, and the Executioner spun his scythe around, slicing the floor.

We made it to the end of the hall and we quickly shrunk down, running into the keyhole. The Executioner snarled and we didn't turn around. We got back to normal size when we got into the small room and Alice destroyed the dried up wall with the Hobby Horse.

We walked through the path and she destroyed another wall. We walked into the opening and looked around, Cheshire appearing on the cracked part of the ground. "The queen's guardian rarely leaves his filthy lair, but you two are special." he purred and grinned, disappearing.

Alice rolled her eyes and dropped down onto the walkway below, walking up to the chain, and pulled it. A steam vent floated down and I jumped into it, landing on the huge platform above us, Alice following. Six Card Guards broke out of the ground and two Insidious Ruins formed. I went after the ruin monsters and she went after the Card Guards. Why? Because I'm fucking scared.

After killing them all, we jumped in fright when the Executioner screamed, dropping down to the ground. Alice stood in front of me and held her arms out protectively. He walked up to us, swung his scythe in the air, and brought it down into the ground in front of us.

A blood red hole formed below us and we fell into it. We floated down and landed safely on the ground. "Um…thank you for protecting me Alice." I muttered. She looked over her shoulder and nodded, a gentle smile on her face.

We began to walk down the hall and jumped when the Executioner dropped down. He landed on his knees and placed his hand on the ground, screaming at us. "What the fuck!" I snarled and we sprinted down the hall as fast as we could. He twirled his scythe in his hands and we ran up the stairs and into a room.

A gate dropped down and we relaxed for only a second until a whole shit load of enemies appeared. The Executioner laughed and walked up the stairs, trying to lift up the gate. I hit some with my staff weapon and yelped when a Card Guard grabbed it when I swung it. It hissed menacingly, its mouth foaming, and yanked my weapon out of my hands.

"Alice!" I cried in fright when it grabbed my shoulders and raised its head in the air, foaming even more. Alice swiftly ducked an attack and sprinted up to us. I yelped when blood spurted on my face when the nineteen year old jammed the Vorpal Blade all the way through its head and out of its mouth.

It dropped to the ground when she pulled it out and I screamed when the Executioner walked into the room. We dodged when he swung at us, slicing off a Spade Card Guard's head. When he decapitated all of the enemies, the skin blocking our path dried up and disintegrated.

We didn't think twice about leaving and we jumped into the steam and landed on the walkway in front of us. The Executioner stopped and looked around and slammed his scythe on the ground, snarling at us.

Cheshire appeared and he looked at us. "Find the queen. Ignore her pledge to decapitate intruders, only at your peril." He then disappeared. We laughed as he tried to find a way to get to us. "In your fucking face!" I shouted, making him growl angrily. We high fived each other and walked along the path and into the opening.

The door closed behind us and we looked around. "I'll let you go first." Alice smiled and stepped out of the way. I smiled slightly at her and hesitantly jumped onto the diamond platform. I yelped when it began to lower and I jumped onto the spade platform. I cocked an eyebrow when the diamond platform in front of me rose up and I looked behind me.

Alice smiled at me and I saw a Clockwork Bomb on the platform behind me. "Thanks Alice." I thanked her. She just nodded. I jumped onto the next platform and on the ledge, two Insidious Ruins forming. I brought out my staff weapon and hit them, killing them. Alice didn't even jump on the platforms and just twirled right onto the ledge I was on. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're stupid?"

I gave her an annoyed look and she snickered to herself. I rolled my eyes and backed up, having a running start, and jumped off the ledge, twirling towards the steps like thing. "Oh watch out!" Alice called sarcastically when I landed. "We have a badass over here!"

"We also have a smartass on our hands!" I retorted.

This time, she gave me an annoyed look. I giggled and we went on our way (killing that one douchebag Card Guard).

After getting past the chessboard part, we walked side by side down the hall, jumping when a gate quickly lowered. We just shrugged it off (I tried to) and continued walking, going up the stairs and into the next hallway. We got only about a foot in and all of a sudden, the Executioner drops out of nowhere, slicing the ground with his scythe.

I furrowed my eyebrows and raised my arms. "Seriously?" He laughed and we sprinted down the hall, him trailing closely behind us. I pushed Alice into the hole as we got closer to it and I dove in head first after her. The Executioner let out an angry snarl and it echoed in the part of the castle we were in, dried flesh and tentacles on the walls and floor.


	18. Executioner, y u no chop our heads off?

Alice groaned and I quickly got off her. "Sorry." I whispered. She sat up slowly and held her head. "You didn't have to tackle me. I saw the hole."

"Oh."

We stood up and I looked around. I noticed the nineteen year old walk off out the corner of my eye and I silently followed. Cheshire appeared and his tail twitched. "Look for the queen, but remember: she also has eyes for you two." I nodded slowly and he disappeared.

"Alright, let's get going. We don't have all day." Alice informed. I nodded and followed her out of the dried flesh part. We walked up the stairs and the door closed behind us, an Armored Card Guard pulling itself out of the ground quickly.

Before I could do anything when it swung at us and got its weapon stuck in the floor, Alice hit it twice with the Teapot Cannon, killing it. Then, three Card Guards ripped out of the ground along with another Armored Card Guard. I was about to rush at them when they were hit with more tea grenades.

I growled when she killed them all, not leaving any for me. "Now's not the time to be a sore loser." Cheshire murmured, making me jump and look around. He wasn't there. "Did you hear that Alice?" I asked shakily. She looked at me in confusion and shook her head no.

I looked away and our path was cleared. We dropped down to the ground and walked through the hall and into the opening. It was the area with the card symbol platforms and what not. _"A perfect guest does NOT overstay; a perfect guest stays home!"_ the queen snapped clearly.

'Pushy.' I thought and noticed that Alice wasn't standing next to me. "Oy! Brianna! Are ya gonna just stare into space or follow me?" Alice called at the top of her lungs, standing on the platform in the middle of them all, near the one with the lever.

"Thanks for waiting!" I shouted. She laughed and floated to the next platform, landing in front of the lever, and pulled it. The door opened and the gate rose up and she looked around. I grunted when I made my way on the platform below her and made my way up towards her.

"Took you long enough." Alice murmured and smirked. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and we went on our way. I looked around and jumped when Cheshire began to talk. "To the royal guards of this realm, we are all victims in waiting." We nodded and soon reached the room with nothing but the door and I tensed up.

"_Be afraid." _the queen hissed bitterly, the Executioner dropping down onto the platform thing in the middle of the room.

(Tons of Card and Armored Card Guards appear. Random fight begins)

The Executioner snarled at us when all of the enemies were killed and we fell through another hole. The surroundings around us changed and the sky turned bloody red. The Executioner's laughs echoed around us. 'Creepy.' I thought and cringed slightly when I saw a tongue thing crawl across the ground.

After getting the switch to turn green, we made our way across the platforms and through the now destroyed skin barrier. One after the other, we jumped onto the pink mushroom springs and finally on the ground. She stood on a pressure pad after destroying another flesh barrier and shot the switch with the Pepper Grinder.

I jumped onto the platform and onto the ledge of the walkway, Alice following. We walked into the opening, the queen saying something, and three red Insidious Ruins formed from the skin/ground. I raised my upper lip in disgust and took out my fan, throwing it at them. They all died.

Wanna know what happened next? Alice left me behind.

She was already going to the third platform and I raised my upper lip in annoyance. 'Great.' I thought and followed behind. Alice landed on the fleshy ground and turned around, waiting for me. I landed next to her after a minute and glared at her. "Stare at me like that even longer and my head will explode." she teased and shrunk down, walking into the keyhole.

I rolled my eyes and followed her, ignoring the special path, and into the opening again. We then came upon the worst part of Queensland. So I'm going to skip that part starting now.

We walked along the thing after getting past those shit things that I hate and Alice stopped. "Wait up there for me okay?" She then pointed at the ledge next to the steam vent. I hesitantly nodded and she walked off and onto the invisible path.

I walked up to the steam vent and jumped into the steam, landing on the ledge. Alice destroyed the dried skin and ran back onto the walkway, standing on the pressure pad. A switch rose up and she made her way back onto the path, shooting it quickly with the Pepper Grinder.

I noticed a platform rise up from the darkness and I jumped when something touched my shoulder. "Let's go." Alice chuckled and smirked in amusement. I grunted and followed her until we got to the large platform in the middle of the darkness.

(Random fight begins with a Menacing Ruin and five Card Guards while the Executioner is watching)

A hole appeared under us and we fell through and into the darkness, the Executioner laughing. We landed in a hallway and the enemy instantly dropped down too, snarling at us. We ran side by side together, panting and breathing heavily. "I hate this guy!" I shouted and we fell into a large hole, the Executioner snarling.

We dropped down to the ground and I landed on my knees. I winced and Cheshire appeared near the entrance of another chess room. "A reflection often exposes more reality than the object it echoes." he grinned and disappeared.

We then entered the room and Alice had to do another chess puzzle. After that was done, we walked through the now open doors and down the small stairs. Alice got out the Teapot Cannon and aimed it at the two Card Guard enemies and fired it.

It hit them and they died. We walked down the hall and up to the edge, looking around. The nineteen year olds eyes widened in horror when the train drove through the air and past the castle. "C'mon, we need to hurry." she informed and walked away. I nodded and followed her.

We got into the room with all of those platforms and pulling another lever to open the door. I made it across the platforms quickly before her and successfully got into the platform with the circles in it. "Alice, I'll get the enemies!" I called out. "You do what you need to do!"

"Okay!"

I summoned up the staff weapon and hit the Armored Card Guard, smashing its face. Alice rose down on the spade symbol platform and set a Clockwork Bomb on it, running onto a pink mushroom, and flew into the air.

I watched her slightly as she jumped onto the platform with the lever on it and pulled it. I faced the Card Guard and knocked it over the edge of the thing. That was the last of the enemies. I jumped onto the other spade platform and the other one went up.

"Here!" Alice called into the hole, dropping something. I yelped when it almost landed on my foot and I glared at her. It was a Clockwork Bomb. I sprinted onto the mushroom spring and was flung into the air. I landed on the platform and she somehow already got into the doorway. I jumped onto the ledge and walked up the stairs and around the corner of the hall, Cheshire appearing near the entrance.

"Only a few find the way. Some don't recognize it when they do, some…don't ever want to." he instructed and disappeared. That brought back memories of what Milieu told me on my Ultimo adventure.

We walked into the room and it was ANOTHER chess room. After that was done, the door opened. We walked through it and turned a corner, walking into the weird part where finally there was a door. The ground was all torn up and cracked and we carefully jumped onto each until we made it to the door.

I opened it for Alice and she thanked me and I shut it behind me, walking into darkness.

"Lizzie hated locked rooms." Alice began to murmur to herself. "Her room was further from the fire than mine. Smoke could not have killed her…she never locked her door! And besides, she knew another way out of the house, out of the window! Someone incapacitated or killed Lizzie! Then locked her door, then took the lamp downstairs and started the fire to cover up her crime. Their plan was to kill us all!"


	19. Big Alice smash!

**(A.K.A. The greatest chapter ever written in Fanfiction history)**

Alice opened the door and held it open for me. I walked into the opening and looked around, the door shut. We looked at each other and shrugged, walked up the stairs, and down the hall. We walked up to the toppled over pillar and Cheshire appeared, sitting on it. "Confront what frightens or offends you. Reckless or insulting talk should never go unchallenged." he informed us and disappeared.

She just shrugged and shrunk down, getting back to normal size, and jumped across the invisible platforms. I gulped, knowing what's gonna come next, and followed behind her. I dropped down next to her and an Armored Card Guard appeared, along with a Menacing Ruin and four Card Guards.

I went after the ruin enemy because it's easier than the card enemies. After the big fight was done, we went on our merry way!

The flesh blocking our path dried up and we ran onto the pink mushroom spring, landing on the walkway. I looked around, amazed that it still was pretty looking, even though everything was dying. We walked down the ramp/slope in the ground and remembered that we were entering the Majestic Maze.

We looked each ways and I decided to go right, yelping when something grabbed my shoulder. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Alice barked in anger and glared at me. "Last time I was here there was a bunch of enemies around every corner so you're sticking with me." I nodded slowly and frowned, knowing I angered her.

We continued to run down the straight way and jumped over the hole and turned a corner silently, going into the area where two holes were. _"I smell bait _(is that what she said?)_!"_ the queen snapped and the enemies looked at us.

(skipping another pointless battle between Card Guards and two Drifting Ruins)

I wiped the blood off my somewhat stained white dress and I frowned. 'I wonder how the queen will react to this dress.' I thought and frowned. Alice watched the flesh disintegrate and she whistled towards me, getting my attention. "Let's go Brianna."

"Okay."

I ran up to her and we ran down the path. Just as I thought we were fucking safe, that asshole Executioner just pokes through the bushes and sees us and jumps out, snarling, and twirls his scythe. We sprint as fast as we could and he chased us down the path. What he didn't know was that there was a fucking kickass cake waiting for him.

We entered the clearing and ran up to the cake that said 'Eat Me'. Alice grabbed a slice when the Executioner arrived in the clearing and stopped. He watched in curiosity as she took a small bite of it and dropped it, coughing.

I yelped when she grew taller and she looked down at me and then at him, smirking. The Executioner's jaw dropped and he dropped his scythe. In seconds, she squashed him under her foot and I laughed, pointing at his body when she removed her foot from him.

"In your fucking face!" I shouted and laughed again. Alice smirked wider and leaned down, placing her hand on the ground. "Kickass. A free ride!" I mused to myself and hopped into her hand. She placed me on her shoulder and I grabbed her hair. "Let's go kick some fucking ass!" I shouted out, making her giggle.

Alice walked out of the maze and towards some horse knight things and stomped on them, breaking the dried up skin barrier. She walked into the area and this weird skin thing appeared and tons of Armored Card Guards popped out of it and walked towards her. She grunted and stomped on them, getting most of them and swatted the others away.

The tentacles that blocked our way dried up. She swatted at it, destroying it, and walked into the area. Alice walked up the slightly slanted ground and destroyed another barrier, walking onto a chess floor. "Imagine what it'd be like if we had to walk through this in regular size." I murmured into her ear. She scoffed. "That would suck."

She destroyed all of the chess pieces, along with another barrier, and walked into the next part. We saw some tall tentacles moving behind a gate like thing and she rolled her eyes. Alice walked up to the skin thing where the enemies were coming out of and stomped on it, yelping when she got hit with a cannon ball type thing.

"Alice are you okay?!" I shouted in concern. She winced and nodded. "Yes, I'm alright Brianna." I nodded slowly and she walked towards the other one on the other side of the barrier. She stomped and swatted the enemies away just to get to the source and destroyed it. The tentacles blocking her path dried up and she swatted at them, getting them away.

Alice walked onto the other side and up to the lone tentacle and grabbed it. I gagged when it made a squishing sound when she touched it and she pulled on it with all her might, tearing it out of the ground, grunting. The tentacles blocking the cannon withdrew into the ground and the queen grunted.

"Gross." I murmured and she smirked, dodging a cannon ball. Alice walked up to the pillar and swatted at it, making it collapse. A heart shown and she grinned wickedly, stomping on it. The tentacles blocking our path dried up and disintegrated. _"It's only a flesh-wound." _the queen murmured.

Alice turned around and walked back down the path and out the area, up the slanted walkway. She destroyed a barrier to get into another chess floor area and destroyed another to get into a regular area. She turned a corner and destroyed another barrier to get into an area with three things that had Armored Card Guards.

Alice stomped on one, swatting away enemies to get to the next, and destroyed both before getting hit again with a cannonball. I screamed as I was almost knocked off and grabbed her sleeve, pulling myself up. "Bitch…" Alice growled and pulled the lone tentacle, grunting.

When it was pulled out, the tentacles protecting the pillar retreated. _"Ow! That hurt!" _the queen yelped in pain. She stomped on the ground, making the pillar collapse and stomped on the heart. The tentacle barriers dried up and the queen groaned. _"Let us be! No need to go further." _

Alice completely ignored her and continued on her way. She got into the area with the other cannon and grunted when tons of Armored Card Guards hit her with their weapons. "These things are so damn annoying!" she barked and stomped on them, destroying one flesh thing on the ground.

She made her way to the next, destroying it, and destroyed the last one, swatting the remaining enemies. Alice walked up to the lone tentacle and pulled on it, grunting even harder. The queen grunted and she destroyed the pillar, stomping on the heart.

The tentacles blocking the only main path crumbled up and disappeared. The queen yelped in pain. _"Please! Go away!" _she begged.

Alice ignored her and walked out of the area and up the slanted path. _"Unwelcome visitor return from once you came!" _the queen demanded angrily. I stumbled slightly and watched as we neared the tall pillar with the eye on top.

"_Cease and desist!" _she yelped in fright. I noticed that her tone seemed pretty frightened. Alice grinned and grabbed the heart on the outside of it in front of her. The queen let out a piercing shriek as her heart was crushed in Alice's grasp. The pillar crumbled from the bottom and collapsed, the nineteen year old watching in amusement.

Alice noticed a 'Drink Me' bowl near her feet and she shrugged. "I'll meet you on the other side, okay Brianna?" she informed. I flinched when she grabbed my waist gently and I looked at her, nodding. She placed me on the other side of the gate/fence.

Alice grabbed the bowl and poured it all over her face, drinking some, and dropped it. Her foot landed next to me and she stepped over the gate/fence, shrinking down.


	20. Dark of Heartness

Somehow we got into this weird place and Cheshire appeared. "Opinions vary. Still, to recover the past, to continue your search, you need to meet with her." he informed, grinning, and disappeared. We looked at each other and nodded.

"Oh please." a voice called out in boredom. We jumped and looked around. I yelped when a hand rested against my hip and pulled me close to a body. "Hello sister. I missed you." Matthew cooed and rubbed his head against mine. The ruin on his chest slightly burned my dress, making me squirm.

Alice got out the Vorpal Blade quickly and rushed towards us. "Let go of her!" He rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist, bringing her closer to him. "Can I not visit my precious sister without you interrupting?"

"No!"

I looked at her and gave her the 'Please don't do anything stupid!' look. She frowned and relaxed, standing up. Matthew grinned underneath his mask, the mouth slightly opening, and chuckled. "That's a good girl."

I flinched and yelped when he raised my head and placed a finger against my throat. "Because if you didn't back down I would've killed my sister!" Matthew added and chuckled. I let out a scream when he licked my cheek, a ruin trail barely visible. "Why're you here?!" I questioned in a terrified tone.

Matthew burst out laughing and let me go. "I'm here to tell ya not to see that bitch down there!" He then pointed at the entrance of the castle. _"Go away! There's no reason to proceed." _the queen murmured.

He rolled his eyes and watched Alice walk past him and onto the tongue slide. "I'm going anyway. I need to ask her what's going on." We watched her drop down and disappear into the castle and I frowned. "What a stupid girl." Matthew murmured and smirked.

I looked away and yelped when his hand grabbed my lower jaw. "But you aren't." he finished and placed his hand on my lower back, pulling me closer to him. I flinched when my pelvic was pressed against his, his pants warm for some reason. Probably from the ruin heating up.

"M-matthew let go." I whimpered and tried to back up. He chuckled and that sent chills down my spine. I blushed dark red when he leaned in and pressed his "lips" against my ear. "You're **so** lucky I don't have my manhood anymore (the ruin burned it off when his new legs were formed)."

The blush on my face got darker and he pulled away, looking at me face to face. I screamed at the top of my lungs when he licked my lips. Ruin dripped down my lips and I ran past him, slipping on the tongue slide, and disappeared from his sight.

Alice looked around and heard screaming, tensing up. I hit the teeth and stumbled into a pillar. "OH GOD HE LICKED ME!" I screamed and wiped my face off as best as I could. She cocked an eyebrow and pulled me up. "Don't worry. You can kill him later." I nodded slowly, trembling.

We ran through the open door and down the hall. I gaged because flesh covered EVERYTHING. Even Alice's dress. We got into one room which seemed like the stomach. Alice took out the Vorpal Blade and threw it at the blue heart. It exploded and two platforms rose up from the green liquid. "Stay here." she murmured and jumped onto each carefully.

She landed on the safe platform and threw the blade at the next heart. I watched two more rise up and the very last heart exploded. "I win!" she cheered, getting back to the platform I was on. We made our way across the liquid and through the mouth door. Three red Insidious Ruins formed and she cut them all down with the Vorpal Blade.

We walked through the door and I shot one with the Octo Grinder and she got the other with the Pepper Grinder. The door opened and three more Insidious Ruins formed. I got them all with my fan. We had to shrink down to get to the other side of the room and I gritted my teeth in disgust when my hand brushed against the flesh.

Alice dropped down to the slanted walkway below and stabbed the heart with the Vorpal Blade. The door opened and she ran back up and up to me. "Are you ready?" Alice asked. I nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Are you?"

She nodded. We walked through the door and down the stairs. We walked side by side down the walkway towards the queen sitting in her throne. She glared at us slightly and we stopped near the edge of the walkway. "We were expecting someone else!" Alice greeted.

"You don't know your own mind!" the queen snapped. The nineteen year old smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "It's nearly a complete stranger."

"What you claim not to know is merely what you've denied. You've recaptured your vagrant memories." the queen murmured. "What're you doing with them? You once rejected my attempts to control our lives forcefully! But now you've allowed another to succeed in my role!"

"We won't miss your tentacles." Alice murmured boldly.

The queen gave her an astonished look and gritted her teeth in anger. I jumped when she slammed her fist down on the arm rest. "You'd prefer, the hot stinking breath and unyielding attention of a potent, unreasoning, unfeeling hell-raiser?! I don't think so!"

"Can you give us more than a warning?" I asked.

"Silence!"

I jumped and hid behind Alice. She held her arm out and glared at her. "Caterpillar said you might help."

The queen rolled her eyes and slammed her fist down on the arm rest again. "I'd need a better reason to respond than what's currently on offer!"

"We're all doomed if you don't queen." I called out quietly. I yelped when a tentacle wrapped around my waist and pulled me up. "Brianna!" Alice yelped. The queen glared at me slightly as she brought me closer to her and stopped me about two feet away from her.

"Not doomed child, forgotten. Who are you anyway?"

I relaxed slightly and noticed her facial expression lighten up. "Brianna, y-your majesty." She nodded slightly and set me down. "Anyway, I may survive here, but you're finished. You see the pattern of destruction I know you do. The train is trying to destroy all evidence of your past and especially the **fire**! Now, who would want that? Who benefits from your madness?"

My eyes widened when tentacles began to surround us and I moved closer to Alice. "The destruction of Wonderland…is the destruction of me?" she asked curiously.

"Indeed! And vice versa."

"We've set it in motion, we can derail it. This is good for us. I'm not insane! I didn't kill my family. I am fine. I'm not mad! I'm innocent, I-I mean not guilty." Alice informed and tensed up when the tentacles began to surround us and get closer. "What's happening?! What're you doing?!"

"The train must be stopped." the queen informed. "But there's more to do. Your view conceals a tragedy. The whole truth you claim to seek eludes you because you won't look at what's around you!"

My eyes widened when we were picked up off our feet and pulled towards her, her mouth opening wider and wider, showing very sharp teeth. I blacked out and so did Alice.

"There is no method in this madness!" the queen snapped.

"_My professional opinion, madness is often a treatable disease, though perhaps not in this case." Dr. Wilson murmured._

"Authority must be obeyed! Or it must be overthrown!"

"_Cruel to be kind. That's my technique as they say. But she's as mad as a hatter poor dearie." Witless cooed._

"_Worst is over, and over, and over. Forget it Alice. Forget it!" Bumby murmured as he swung the key he has._


	21. Fort Resistance

"Can't distinguish reality from Illusion. Remember your last journey? And elephant never forgets where she left her trunk. When traveling by train, a valise…never bigger than your head." Dr. Wilson murmured as he stood next to a nurse in Alice's asylum room. "I may be wrong, your grace but I doubt it. Down this path of primordial ooze…and sideways…once again."

"Indeed doctor, well demanded, I'm sure. I mean to say…it's, very hot in here! I mean to say…fuzzy." the nurse murmured and looked at him. "And she's not helping! Oh no! No help at all!"

"Humiliation I say! I approve your release and back you come like a bad penny. Reputation in ruins. People talk, Alice. I'm an old dog, buried the bone…don't you know? Loyalty. You must never run away from home. Stay Alice, sit!"

They left the room and left the door open. Alice looked around and her eyelid twitched. 'Brianna…' she thought and stood up. 'Is she here?' She stumbled out of her small padded room and down the depressing hallway, seeing the two orderlies walk by with her stuffed rabbit on a cart thing.

She turned a corner and stopped in front of a steel door. She gently banged her head against it since she couldn't use her arms and hands and it creaked open. I looked up, tears staining my cheeks, and smiled a big toothy smile. "Alice!"

Alice yelped slightly when I threw myself at her in a passionate hug. "Thank you!" I cried and hugged her tighter. She blushed slightly and I pulled away, seeing that she was in her regular asylum garb. I looked at my clothes and noticed that it was a night gown thing with sleeves. My hair was much shorter and messed up and I wiped my eyes.

"We should try to find a way out of here." I suggested, making her nod. We walked around a corner and into a room with a weird chair in the middle, along with some trays of tools. Alice grunted and leaned down in what seemed like agony. I yelped when we fell through the floor into the darkness.

"_If it isn't "whatshername" from the "idiots" ward!" Tweedle Dee cooed and looked at her. "Yeah it's Alice!" Tweedle Dum cheered slightly. "Uncles prize lunatic!" A very fat woman without a face (Slenderman's odd grandma?) stood near them and watched as Tweedle Dum spun a handle, a drill slowly going down towards Alice's head._

"_The instruments are gruesome." she observed. "But a hole in the head gives the troubles more space! Just the thing for your "stone of madness"! Good for seizures too maybe. You must be as sick of those as I'm hearing you whinge about them!"_

We dropped to the floor and the room was much bloodier, three giant screws in the ceiling. I gritted my teeth in disgust and followed Alice as she walked out of the room. We walked down the hall and turned a corner, going into another room, only this one had a bed and shelves lined with jars.

Again, Alice cringed and leaned down, the floor breaking apart again.

"_Some mental conditions are relieved by blood letting. Doctor thinks it won't be affective against your symptoms, but I'm at the end of my tether! And these leaches need the work!" the faceless nurse snapped._

"_A baker's dozen nurse! Let me put 'em on her!" Tweedle Dee demanded._

"_No, me! Me! I can make them hurt." Tweedle Dum protested._

We landed in another bloody room and walked out into the hall, turning a corner, and into another room where a bunch of beds were kept. The two orderlies were having a conversation with each other and we continued on our way.

When we turned a corner and neared a door, it opened by itself and revealed a pure white room that seemed like the waiting room. I looked around and Alice sat down in the middle of some seats, closing her eyes.

"_Come now Alice." Bumby murmured, making her look at him. "Am I not to be as much honored and obeyed as the queen? Is that asking too much? I want what she wanted. Give yourself over to that. Trade the tentacles for the train, it's all together a better ride. It's that or back to Rutledge!"_

"_Never a kind word or reward for services rendered!" Witless informed, making her look at the elderly woman. "Don't I deserve a bit of luck? Don't piss on what's right and owing to me, I say! Brought you out of the asylum, now you'll go back on your own accord!"_

"_I told your mother dear." Nanny began, making Alice look at her. "You're a distant and stubborn child, too content in her own world! Young women need to leave their Wonderlands. The real world is not so wonderful. You'll need to grow up. Perhaps some more time in "care"?"_

"_You look decent enough." Radcliffe murmured, making her look at him. "But appearances deceive! I know you for an unstable and violent person. I can't I'm surprised you've been incarcerated in the asylum again. A long stay under supervision would serve you right!"_

"Alice?" I called out for the fifth time and she snapped out of her trance. "Sorry." she whispered and stood up, walking out the door. I ran after her and slowed down when I reached her. The whole hallway was pure white and blood splattered against everything, some patients facing in different directions as we passed them, walking up to the door.

It opened and we walked into the darkness.

(10 minutes later)

We were back in our normal London dresses and we looked around. It was extremely foggy out and the only things making a path for us were lamps. "Should we just follow the lights?" I asked curiously. Alice shrugged and nodded slightly. "I guess so."

And that's what we did. We turned corners and I got lost for a few seconds but found my way back to Alice. I noticed a figure under a lamp and I jumped when it started moving. "Help Alice! We need your help!" an insane child whimpered as she crawled towards us, missing her lower half of her body. 'Did Matthew do that to her?' I thought in concern. "Don't desert us again! Don't ignore us." the child finished.

"Why do you suffer? The queen's tyranny is just a memory. She has no power over you does she?" Alice asked and kneeled down in front of her.

"Our enemies come and go. But now a new evil reigns, and this fiends malevolence has eclipsed the conquered queen's. His minion has destroyed what our leader stands for!"

We watched her eyes flutter and she died right in front of us. Alice gritted her teeth and stood up, looking at me. "Let's go." I nodded and we walked away from the body. A house soon came into vision, completely on fire, and we walked towards it, soon being engulfed in a bright light.

The bright light soon faded and our surroundings changed drastically. We were surrounded by very large and tall dollhouses and then I realized….we were in the Dollhouse. 'Great, now I won't blame Shaely for hating dolls.' I thought, noticing out the corner of my eye Alice was wearing the Misstitched Dress.

I looked at mine too and it didn't seem as cool as hers. It was mostly purple with a purple like vest, puffy purple sleeves, and the bottom was purple, separated by white ruffles in the middle, a lighter purple bow tied around my waist, purple arm covers that started in the middle of my upper arm and poofed out at the bottom, white ruffles in the middle on both on the back of my hand at the bottom, light purple string tied at the top/beginning, ruffles at the top/beginning and bottom of the vest, three chains keeping it closed, white nylons that went up to my calves and tied on with pink bows with black dress shoes, and a grey hat tilted on my head with a purple bow tied on it.

I grunted and messed with my hat slightly. We stood on a stitched together fabric platform and Alice jumped into the steam coming from the steam vent in front of us, looking back at me. "Let's go." I nodded and followed after she landed on the curved short wooden walkway above us.

We then had to go through another and Alice landed on a pressure pad, making a platform go down. "Go ahead, just wait for me though." she informed. I nodded and jumped down onto it and waited for the green slide to make its way towards me, jumping on it.

When it rotated towards the steam vent, I jumped into it and landed on the wooden platform above, hopping to the next, and waved towards Alice. Alice nodded and set a Clockwork Bomb down, making her way towards me.

I smiled as she landed next to me and she smiled back. We walked into the doll house and looked around. The room was large, a chair and desk near a window. "Ooh cake!" I squealed happily and ran up to it, picking up a piece of cake that had vanilla frosting on it. "Don't eat that!" Alice barked and swatted it out of my hand. "You don't know where that's been."

"Good point."

I frowned slightly and we shrunk down, walking into the keyhole. When we got out of it, we had to jump onto ledges on slowly spinning pillars to get to the other side. Once we got to the other side, we had to shrink AGAIN to get to the other side.

Once that happened, we jumped into the steam one after the other, landing on a wooden ledge that was attached to a dollhouse. We walked into the room and Alice walked up to a lever. "Don't grab that." I murmured, shuddering when the eye looked at me.

Alice grabbed it and pulled it, making the checkered floor open. "You don't know where that's been." I gagged, making her smirk. She dropped down to the floor and I followed. We shrank for a second and walked into the other room, a mirror with 'Save us' on it. Cheshire appeared near a white bookshelf. "Seek and ye shall find they say, but they don't say what you'll find." he murmured and disappeared.

Alice walked up to the gingerbread wall and destroyed it with the Hobby Horse, walking up to the eyeball lever and pulled it. I saw the checkered floor part turned and I smiled slightly. I dropped through the keyhole first and then Alice followed.

We walked behind the thin checkered wall and she destroyed the gingerbread floor. She fell in first and I followed, walking into the opening side by side. We were right near Fort Resistance.

Two Drifting Ruins formed, along with a Menacing Ruin. Each time a Drifting Ruin showed its face, I shot it with the Octo Grinder, killing them both. Alice deflected a ruin ball with the Umbrella and it shattered its arms, making it yelp.

She summoned the Teapot Cannon and shot tea grenades at it four times, shattering two faces and she looked at me. "I could use some assistance." I nodded slightly and got out my fan, opening it, and threw it at the enemy, shattering its face.

All of the enemies were killed and I caught my fan, turning around just in time as the doors of Fort Resistance opened up, the Insane Children walking out. We walked up the ramp slightly and I noticed something different about the leader. She looked much more afraid and she had quite a few scratches on her torso, arms, and legs.

"The unstable are more than merely mad!" she informed. "They have other parts. The Dollmaker will deprive them of what remains of their deranged souls! They need care." Alice had a sad expression on her face and she looked at them in pity. "I know their pain. We would assist, but is sanity required for the job?"

"A limited quantity. You're not mad enough to be rejected." The Insane leader then looked at her comrades. "You're like them, of them…in a way. But not them. I should say not us. For I'm them, but you're on your way, the way is clearly marked."

"I believe we know that way and we rather not travel further along it."

I flinched when I heard the loud cry of something and that got the Insane Child Leader's attention too. "It's here you dimwits! Get inside!" We watched as they scrambled into the fort and the doors quickly shut.

I jumped when it sounded like wood breaking and splitting and we turned around slowly, my jaw dropping when a Dollgirl came into our view, holding two halves of a scissor, looking directly at us, giggling.


	22. Frog's Way

"On my signal, we run different ways." Alice whispered, watching the enemy slowly walk up the ramp out the corner of her eye. I nodded slowly and noticed that she slowly raised her hand up, putting one finger up. Then two after a few seconds. "Three!" she shouted and I quickly dodged away from the enemy.

Alice quickly slammed the Hobby Horse against the Dollgirl, making her yelp and stumble back. I stopped dodging in the middle of the area and looked back at her. She just kept on hitting her with the Hobby Horse, until she pushed her into the opening.

The Dollgirl yelped and squatted down, her arms covering her chest, and instantly blew fire, catching the nineteen year old off guard. Alice shrieked as her arm was burned and I looked at her in concern. "Alice are you okay?!" I shouted as I ran towards her. Dollgirl giggled and quickly spun around.

I grunted when I was knocked off my feet and yelped when I hit the ground at full impact. She winced as she stood up and looked at the enemy. 'What is that thing?' she thought and grabbed the weapon that was lying on the ground.

My eyes slowly opened and I shrieked when she grabbed a fistful of my hair, pulling me up and into the air. The enemy let out a giggle and brought the scissor half up to my throat, pressing the blade against my skin. That's when I remembered a note. 'Grabbed by an enemy? Escape by using dodge or shrink.'

I smirked and shrunk just as she was about to slice open my throat. Dollgirl screamed as her left arm was torn off when Alice hit her sideways with the Hobby Horse. I felt blood slowly trickle down my neck and I shrugged that off, knowing we have to defeat her or else.

"Thanks Alice." I murmured as we stood side by side. "You can thank me later. What's important is that we need to defeat this…THING, before we can go on ahead." Alice instructed, looking at me. I nodded and summoned my fan. "Alright."

The nineteen year old put away the Hobby Horse and brought out the Teapot Cannon, in its final form. We dodged away from each other and I threw my fan at the enemy. Dollgirl screeched as her other arm was cut off. I noticed Alice was running with a slight limp, the Teapot Cannon being charged.

"Hey ugly!" she called, making her look at her. She fired the tea grenade and the enemy whimpered as her clothes were ripped off. I gagged for no reason and summoned the Octo Grinder. I began to fire at her back, making her turn around. I yelped when she ran towards me and ran backwards, having no idea where I was going.

She yelped when her chest was broken into and I smirked, going closer for more affective shots. She kneeled down and breathed fire quickly, making me dodge back.

Alice smirked and summoned the Vorpal Blade, sprinting towards her. Dollgirl spun around quickly and jumped, slamming her feet onto the ground. Alice yelped as a shockwave hit her, sending her back slightly and onto the ground.

"Alice!" I screamed and watched in horror as the enemy began to stomp on her. She spit up blood as she was repeatedly stomped on. I summoned the Daimyos Wasp staff I got and sprinted towards them. Dollgirl screeched as the staff was shoved through her back and all the way through her torso, straight through her heart.

I grunted and with all my might, I threw her aside (which wasn't very far). Alice looked at me and smiled weakly. I grabbed her hand and pulled her up, setting her arm around my shoulder. The door blocking the Frog's Way was lowered and I looked at her.

"C'mon, you need to get healed." I murmured and slowly walked towards the oversized doll. I stopped at the purple flower and she didn't hesitate to say no. She looked at me gratefully and shrunk down inside it, the petals covering her.

I sighed and went to go find another shrinking flower. And I found one. I groaned as the flower petals covered me, slowly feeling much better. After a few minutes, I felt MUCH better. I got back to normal size and collected the teeth I got.

I stretched and noticed Alice was sitting down, fixing her dress, and looked at me. She stood up and walked towards me. I squeaked when I was pulled into a hug and she pulled away, looking at me. "Thank you for helping me."

"It's no problem." I replied and smiled slightly.

We heard clapping and we tensed up, ready for another fight. Matthew chuckled and dropped down to the ground, standing up straight. The slight wind blew his hair around and he crossed his arms looking straight at Fort Resistance.

The Insane Child Leader shuddered when she noticed that he was looking directly at her and slowly lowered down from the window.

He smirked and looked back at us. "So you made it. Congratulations." We slowly relaxed as he just stood there. The arms protruding from his back were bent near his face and he began to walk towards us. Alice summoned the Vorpal Blade, ready to strike.

He stopped in front of us and raised his arm up to her, flicking her on the nose. After a half a second, she screamed as she was launched backwards, right into a pile of doll heads and other things. "Now look what ya made me do. I wasn't planning on fighting but oh well."

I yelped when the blade of his scythe wrapped around my neck and he looked at me. "Since the queen didn't kill you, I might as well." Matthew murmured and raised the weapon in the air. "Off with your head!"

I screamed and he yelped when hot tea splashed down on him, making him drop the scythe. Alice stood there and glared furiously at him, holding the Teapot Cannon. "Get away from her!" He let out a growl and glared at her. "You fucking bitch."

I backed up and cocked an eyebrow when he melted into the ground. "That guy is so annoying." the nineteen year old murmured and walked up to me. I nodded slowly and we walked towards the large doll, going through the entrance.

We walked along the wooden walkway and jumped down to the one lower and landed with a quiet thud. As we neared the wall with the door, it lowered, revealing a room with a large book saying Humpty Dumpty on it.

Right as we entered the room, Cheshire appeared sitting near the open door. "I've heard self-reliance is a virtue." he murmured. "Now you've heard it." I watched him disappear and Alice jumped into the steam, landing on the closed off walkway with a broken toy soldier on it. She grabbed the lever and pulled it.

I landed on the walkway right as the wall lowered. We floated towards the platform and landed safely on it, walking up the stairs. She jumped into the steam first and right as she landed on the floor surrounded by walls and shelves, four Drifting Ruins appeared.

I watched as she easily took them down with the Teapot Cannon. After they were defeated, I landed next to her. A steam vent rose up and we went our separate ways. She went in the keyhole and I floated up while in the steam.

Alice noticed the blue wall blocking the path was open and she looked around. "Oh hi." I smiled and poked my head out from the platform above her, making her jump and look up. "Can I possibly borrow a Clockwork Bomb?" I asked.

"Uh, sure." she replied and threw one up, along with the detonator. I watched her go back the way we came and once she was gone from my sight, I set it on the pressure pad. I quickly made it back across the platform and made it into the dollhouse.

I landed on the floor at the bottom and jumped onto each block with a letter on it, getting to the top where Alice was waiting. "Thanks for letting me go first." Alice smiled, her hand on her hip. I nodded and smiled back. She let me go first this time and I jumped into the steam, landing on the floor above.

Alice followed.

I watched the headless doll on the swing with tons of nails through it swing back and forth, waiting for the right time to jump. I gulped and jumped right as it passed by and dodged quickly to avoid getting hit, making it to the other side, I breathed out in relief and walked up to the lever, pulling it.

Alice landed on the walkway I was on and the steam vent rose up, the walls across from us going down. I let her go first and watched as she made her way towards the other lever. She grunted as she pushed it down and I screamed as the floor spun around.

I jumped into the air and landed back down, falling on the ground, my heart racing. "Thanks a lot!" I shouted, making her laugh. "You're welcome." she called back as she made her way back towards me. She helped me up and patted my shoulder. "Sorry."

"It's okay…"

She nodded and twirled into the steam, rising up. Alice silently studied the doll swinging, making sure to plan everything carefully. In one swift move, she quickly made it through the path and past the doll. I jumped into the steam and followed, almost dying.

Four Insidious Ruins formed and a Dollgirl appeared, missing one hand and the other hand was replaced with a hook. I summoned my staff and we went our separate ways. I hit each ruin enemy once, slicing through their bodies. Alice hit the doll with the Hobby Horse, trying to tear off her arms.

I sprinted towards them and screamed when I was kicked into a wall, Alice looking at me in concern. Dollgirl giggled and quickly brought down her hook, scratching down her back. The nineteen year old let out a shriek and fell to the ground.

"A-alice!" I shouted and struggled to get up, wincing when a "foot" stomped on my hand. Matthew looked down at me in pity, his cloak flowing in the breeze. His claws dug into my skin and I flinched when he grabbed my hair, screaming as he pulled me up.

"Did you really think I would back down that easily?" Matthew cooed and grabbed my neck, squeezing so hard that I almost immediately passed out. I pulled my head away as the ruin hand on his right side caressed my cheek.

He tensed up when he heard the Dollgirl's cry and heard her fall to the ground, turning around. Alice stood in her hysteria mode, glaring daggers at him. "Stop touching her or I'll kill you!" she shouted. I gasped when I was released, hitting the floor.

Matthew grinned and ran towards her, his scythe at his side. Alice summoned the Pepper Grinder and tried to shoot him but he was too fast. She got out of hysteria and she stood in an odd position immediately.

He stopped behind her and raised his hand into the air, his claws shining slightly. "No!" I shouted and ran towards them. He yelped when I drop kicked him in the shoulder before he could slice her open. He hit the ground, getting a sickening crack in response, and hit the wall.

She winced in pain and I noticed that his mask was on the ground away from him. Matthew grunted as he tried to get up, blood dripping down his face, running over dried blood. He opened his eyes and noticed his mask wasn't on his face.

"M-my mask…it's gone! It's gone!" he laughed happily and stood up fully. He seemed different without it. "Alice, are you-" I began, being cut off when he grabbed my shoulders, making me scream. He pulled me into a hug and rubbed his cheek against my head. "Thank you so much. Now I'm free."

I looked up at him, looking into his gentle red eyes. I pulled away and backed up. "Wh-what's wrong Brianna?" he asked in concern. I shook my head and hid behind Alice, who held her arm out. "She's afraid of you. She doesn't want anything to do with you." That was true.

"What?!" Matthew snarled. My eyes widened when the mask behind him rose up. He growled bitterly and the mask floated in front of his face. He grabbed it and placed it on his face. I gritted my teeth as snapping and cracking sounds were heard, making me shudder.

Once it was back on, he turned away and melted into the ground. Alice relaxed and looked at me. I watched her walk onto the pressure pad, wincing as she stood there, blood trailing behind her. A switch appeared from behind a wall and I got the Octo Grinder out, shooting it, and it turned green.

Side by side, we slowly but quickly made our way to the top of the area and to the other side. Alice winced and stumbled slightly. I grabbed her arm and held onto it tightly, looking at her in worry. "It's alright Brianna. I'll be fine." she informed.

I nodded and we walked through a doorway. She walked on the pink mushroom spring and landed above and I followed. She walked up to the lever and pulled it. The floor changed so that a door was visible and I walked through it.

I shrunk down and got back to normal size, floating across the open space to the other side. I then shrunk again, and then hopped onto each invisible platform. I got to the top and stood on the pressure pad. The floor rose down and Alice floated to the other side. She ran through the door and jumped onto the stacked blocks.

She made it to the top and bust open the barrier, walking onto the ramp. She jumped when I touched her shoulder and spun around. I smiled at her and she tilted her head. "How'd you get here?"

"I left one of my weapons back."

I then summoned it up, making the room go away. She nodded slowly and I noticed a Dollgirl walk into the open on the large platform. "Not that thing again." I growled. She summoned the Teapot Cannon and shot the Drifting Ruin as it got closer, making it explode. She did the same to the other one.

We sighed and dodged the swinging headless doll and landed on the platform. I went after the Menacing Ruin and she went after the Dollgirl.

**(Insert bloody battle here, too lazy to type it)**

I brushed myself off and Alice was waiting inside the dollhouse. She already pulled the lever and watched as I jumped onto the stairs, landing on the floor. The wall closed and she walked onto the mushroom spring. I followed after a few seconds.

I landed in the doorway and Cheshire appeared. "What is truly sought is most often found. If it is findable." the cat purred and disappeared. She destroyed the gingerbread barrier and walked onto the wooden platform.

She twirled towards the steam vent and landed on the stitched up platform. I followed and landed next to her. She set a clockwork bomb on the pressure pad and grabbed my hand, pushing me towards the next. I landed on it and she jumped right into the steam. "We need to get moving! We don't have time to deal with them." Alice informed.

I nodded and we both got to the walkway above. We went past the swinging doll and into the steam again. She landed on the floor and walked up to the lever, pulling it. A nearby dollhouse opened and we both slid down the slide, landing on the walkway. I ran onto the mushroom spring and she followed.

We both landed in the small room above and dodged the Drifting Ruin outside the open doorway. We floated onto the platform inside the dollhouse and it closed. We walked up the stairs and noticed the puzzle pieces disappeared. That's when we went our separate ways.

I walked in the room with the pressure pad on the desk and studied it, looking around. I grabbed a block and picked it up, grunting, and set it on it. A door opened and I walked through it and through the open doorway. I was launched into the air after hitting the mushroom spring and landed on the top.

I walked up to the puzzle piece and touched it, making it disappear. I then walked along the invisible path and through another doorway. I hopped onto the other side and touched the puzzle piece, making it disappear.

Alice screamed, her clothes turning pitch white, and sprinted towards the Menacing Ruin, stabbing it in the faces repeatedly. After a few blows, it yelped and melted into the ground, the hordes of Slithering Ruins melting as well.

She got out of hysteria and destroyed the ruin barrier, getting the puzzle piece, and limped out of the room and into the open. She had a long scratch down her leg. She limped towards the flower and fell onto it, breathing heavily. She shrunk down and slowly stood up.

After a few minutes, she was fully healed and feeling much better. Alice shrunk down and walked through the keyhole. Soon she reached the small room with a large pile of garbage and got the puzzle piece.

I noticed the last one appeared and I smiled, watching them go into the puzzle. I moved them around the same way I did when I played the game. The picture revealed a little boy crying. Alice walked up the stairs right as the wall opened, a Bitch Baby flying into our view.

She gurgled up something and spit it at me. I yelped and she quickly stood in front of me, deflecting it with the umbrella. It hit the enemy and she screeched and crashed into the floor. Two more flew towards us and I shot one with the Octo Grinder, eventually killing her, and Alice deflected another projectile from the other.

Once that was done, we went on our way, which wasn't close to being merry.

We landed on the floor of the inside of a dollhouse and one after the other, we ran onto the mushroom spring. I landed next to her and she shrunk down. I smirked when she hiccupped and got back to normal size. "Follow me." she instructed. I nodded and she jumped onto an invisible platform on the pillar.

When it came back around, I jumped onto it next to her. After a minute, we floated down to the platform with the ramp on it, along with a jack in the box. I noticed Cheshire appear and he grinned. "Looks like a perfect fit! And I'm a perfect judge. Time to put your new noggin to use."

He disappeared and she rolled her eyes. She walked up to it and cranked the handle, a head popping out, followed by a much smaller head. The roof of a dollhouse opened and they flew inside it.


	23. A game of Cat & Mouse with the Dollgirl

(we then had to go through Off With Her Head part 1)

We landed in a room which was a little dimmer and duller looking. We looked at each other and nodded, going down the glass slide with spikes under it. We separated and soon came back together, landing in a room with wooden walls and wooden floors….everything was wooden okay?

A Bitch Baby appeared, along with two Insidious Ruins and we went after them, killing them in a minute. She destroyed the white barrier and walked onto the pressure pad, looking at me. "Go on ahead. Just wait for me okay?" I nodded slowly and ran up the stairs hesitantly, running out of her sight.

I dropped down onto the ground and it squished under my feet, making me gag slightly. 'Ew.' I thought and made it to the other side. "Ready!" I shouted. Alice set a Clockwork Bomb on the pressure pad and ran off quickly.

I watched her drop down to the ground and detonate it as soon as she reached me. An Insidious Ruin formed and walked towards us, but got crushed by a thing. We laughed and sighed in the end. "What a moron." I murmured and watched her run past it once it rose up. I did the same thing.

Once it rose up, we ran onto the weird ground, quickly shrinking, and went into the small area so we were safe. Two Insidious Ruins formed and once the coast was clear, we ran into the area away from the crushers (that's what I'm gonna call it).

I got out my fan and killed them both. Alice destroyed the barrier with the Hobby Horse and she looked at me. "Want me to go see what's down there?" I asked curiously. She nodded and gave me a stern look. "But hurry back." I nodded as well and walked down the stairs.

I looked around, seeing the golden bottle blocked off by thick glass, and shrugged, going down the next flight of stairs. I turned a corner and jumped when I saw a large doll behind glass. Chains ran through its eye sockets and its arms were up. I shuddered and shrunk down, going into the keyhole. I got in the small room and picked up the bottle, making it disappear.

I got back out on the other side and started to walk up the stairs, screaming when a hand grabbed my wrist. The figure quickly covered my mouth and chuckled. "It's okay." He let me go and I quickly turned around. Matthew stood there and smiled. "What're you doing here?" I growled bitterly.

He chuckled and sat down near the doll. "I was just lonely and I wanted to visit you, that's all." I rolled my eyes and began to walk away. "Wait!" Matthew shouted. I growled and faced him slightly. "What do you want?!" I demanded.

He moved his hand in a 'come here' motion and I groaned, walking towards him. "What?" I asked in annoyance. He looked up at me and grabbed my wrist. I jumped in surprise and squeaked when he pulled me closer to him. "I really missed you." he whispered and pulled me into his lap, my legs over his.

I tensed up and squirmed in his grasp. "Let go you idiot!" I demanded, struggling to get out of his grip. Matthew smirked and grabbed my hip. I flinched when he rested his forehead against mine and my vision was instantly blurry.

Alice waited patiently after killing the two Bitch Baby enemies and tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. 'What is she doing?' she thought in annoyance and walked back into the room and through the hallway. She walked down the stairs and turned a corner, gasping at what she saw.

My eyes were rolled back into my head and my mouth was open slightly. Matthew rubbed my back, slightly digging his claws into my skin, and looked at her. "Get away from her!" Alice shouted and hit him over the face with the Hobby Horse. He yelped and gasped when he hit the wall, melting into the ground.

I winced and sat up, my vision coming back. "What happened?" I asked quietly. She helped me up and hurried me up the stairs. "I don't know." she informed and lead me into the room with the platforms. I looked at her out the corner of my eye and she dropped down to the invisible platforms below.

Alice jumped onto the metal platform and set a Clockwork Bomb on it, running towards me. I ran to the other side and twirled onto the other one, quickly landing on the floor. She followed and landed next to me right as it exploded.

We walked around the corner, three Drifting Ruins forming in the air. I got out my fan and waited 'till all three showed their faces and I threw it. They yelped and exploded.

She dropped down to the platform on the left and set a Clockwork Bomb down, jumping into the steam instantly after. "Go!" she yelled at me. I nodded and ran, or at least tried to. I made it to the other side and twirled towards the platform, landing on it.

Alice quickly followed after. She landed on the walkway and looked around. She walked through the hole/opening and jumped when it shut immediately behind her. "Brianna?" she called out. I poked my head out from behind a corner as the invisible platform beneath me went into the opening. "Hi."

Alice smiled at me and shrunk down, getting the path, and jumped onto each platform when she got back to normal size. I looked at her when she reached me and I rubbed my arm. "I went ahead and our path is good."

"Alright, thank you."

I nodded and we went on our way. I sighed as I stood on the pressure pad, Alice aiming the Pepper Grinder at the switch. She shot it quickly, stopping when it turned red. "Just stay there. I'll get you when it's done."

"Alright." I mumbled and sat down.

Alice floated down onto the platform and ran around the corner, jumping into the steam. She landed directly on a pressure pad. The nineteen year old set a Clockwork Bomb down and sprinted around the corner, jumping into the room with the weird floor.

She summoned the Pepper Grinder and shot the switch, making it turn green. I yelped when the closed off wall near me lowered and she dropped to the ground, smirking. "I told you I'd get you when I was done."

I smirked and look towards the starting place. The wall was open and the spikes were gone. "Let's get going shall we?" Alice murmured and looked at me. I nodded and she set a Clockwork Bomb down next to me, motioning with her head to go.

I nodded and ran down the stairs, leaping off the edge. I twirled and landed on the floor and ran through the opening, jumping onto the first platform, then the second, and finally onto the room like one. I jumped into the steam and floated down towards the platform.

I turned around right as she landed right in front of me, startling me. "Don't do that!" I shouted. She giggled and patted my shoulder. "Sorry."

We jumped and floated towards the platform attached to the wall and landed safely. I shrunk down and screamed when she picked me up and jumped into the air, landing on the moving invisible platform. She walked onto the other ones and just ignored it.

I blushed dark pink and glared at her. "Put me down now!" She rolled her eyes and set me down. "You were taking too long. So I helped."

I crossed my arms and we jumped down to the long hall. Tons of Slithering Ruins ripped out of the ground and she grabbed my arms. "We need to continue on. Forget these guys!" Alice informed as she started to run. I nodded and made my feet run too.

We jumped over the hole and to the other side, running right through the spiked pillars, nearly getting crushed on the second one. We ran, well, dragged me, around the corner and right under the third one. We turned a corner and stopped, looking around. "Nothing's here." I murmured.

"Don't be too certain." she growled and summoned the Vorpal Blade.

Three Insidious Ruins formed, along with a brunet Dollgirl. I screamed when I was knocked off my feet and slammed into a wall. "Brianna!" Alice shouted and yelped when she was too knocked off her feet. Dollgirl rushed towards her, giggling hysterically, and stomped on her.

I gritted my teeth and looked up, jumping when I saw Matthew standing in front of me, his black cloak slightly blowing. He chuckled in amusement and grabbed his scythe. "I'm surprised you actually made it this far." he murmured and brought it down.

I screamed and rolled out of the way. It made a long scratch in the wall and floor and he growled. He looked at me out the corner of his eye and grinned. I gasped when he kicked me in the gut and back kicked me in the face. I hit the ground and landed on my stomach.

Alice spit up blood and quickly fired a tea grenade. The Dollgirl and her screamed out when it splashed all over both of them. 'Alice!' I thought. Matthew chuckled and walked towards me. He kneeled down in front of me and grabbed my throat.

I grunted as he pulled me towards him and looked into the pitch black voids pretending to be eyes. "You fucking take it like a bitch." he growled softly, his tongue brushing against my cheek. I gritted my teeth and pulled my head back slightly, smirking. "You hit like a bitch."

Matthew snarled and stood up, pulling me up, and pushed me away. I grunted and yelped when I was kicked aggressively in the gut, being launched backwards. I hit a wall and fell to the floor with a thud.

Alice winced as she struggled to get up and the Dollgirl grabbed her hair, dragging her along the floor. Her screams filled my ears and I tried to block it out. Matthew screeched and sprinted towards me, jumping into the air. He brought his scythe up and I quickly summoned the Daimyos Staff, my body trembling.

Blood spurted out of his back and stomach as I shoved it straight through him. He let go of his weapon and looked down at the wound. He was on his knees over me. I trembled in fear and he coughed up a large amount of blood onto my dress. "Good…g-girl…." he cooed as he choked on his blood and leaned over in pain, wincing.

Matthew gasped and set his head on my chest, going limp, and disappeared into the ground. Dollgirl screeched and dropped to the floor, disappearing. Alice stood in her Hysteria form and ran towards me, pulling me up. I groaned and she picked me up. "Gentle." I whispered and winced. She ignored me and ran through the hole in the wall and jumped into the air, changing back into her normal self.

We hit the glass and separated slightly. She winced and looked at me. She got up and stumbled, landing on her knees. 'Damn him!' she thought as she crawled towards me. I flinched when she put her arm under my back and pulled me up, crawling towards the shrinking violet.

Alice gently set me on it and looked at me. "No." I whispered and coughed, looking at her. "You…need it…more."

"I do not!"

I lazily rolled off it and looked at her when I rolled onto my stomach. "Brianna…" she whispered as she looked at me gratefully, then at the flower, then back at me. I nodded and she nodded as well. The nineteen year old crawled on it and shrunk down, hiccupping.

I coughed and blood slightly hit the ground. My stomach hurt so bad when I breathed and touched it. After a few minutes, she got back to normal size and looked at me. I grunted when she set me against a wall, placing her hand on my shoulders. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't go anywhere!"

I nodded and watched her run away. She jumped onto a walkway and turned a corner, pulling the lever. The glass wall behind her lowered and the hole was covered by wood below her. She dropped down onto the glass and ran down the stairs and shrunk down, running through the keyhole.

Alice ran down the hall and into the large room/area, right over the flesh (?) tile and past the spiked moving wall. She stood on a moving wooden platform and when it reached the entrance of the room, she ran onto the floor and shrunk down, getting into the room.

She stood on the pressure pad, setting a Clockwork Bomb down when a switch rose up. She shrunk and ran back through the keyhole, running onto the wooden platforms. She brought out the Pepper Grinder and quickly shot it, making it turn green.

The glass wall next to the 4 rose down and she ran into it, shooting another switch. Another glass wall rose down, making her path clear. When the spikes rose down, she sprinted through the path and around the corner. She shrunk down and ran through the keyhole, getting back to normal size.

She grabbed the lever and pulled, grunting. It turned off and the glass above her rose up, along with the door below 666.

Alice jumped into the opening and ran up to me. "I'm back. Let's get you to a shrinking violet." I nodded and grunted when she picked me up. I hate it when people pick me up but I guess it wasn't a problem for her.

She ran up the stairs and along the path, right onto the blue mushroom spring. She was launched in the air and a bright light blinded us.

She landed on a platform attached to a slide and she looked at me. "Are you ready?" I nodded slightly and held on to her. She jumped and slid down the slide, dodging the ruin pools. For some odd reason, the three full roses at the end weren't there. She floated down safely to the ground and landed. She ran up to the edge and jumped when a Bitch Baby dropped down, giggling.

"Not this thing." she growled and set me down gently, getting the Teapot Cannon out, and shot it. It screeched and crashed into the floor. She smirked and looked to her right, noticing me stumbling towards a shrinking violet.

'Thank goodness.'

I shrunk down and collapsed inside the flower, the petals covering me.

Alice jumped onto a metal platform on the left and set a Clockwork Bomb down, jumping into the steam, floating up. She twirled and landed in more steam and floated out, twirling onto the other platform. She ran and jumped off, landing on the larger platform, and ran up to the lever.

She pulled it and the other side of the platform opened.

I got back to normal size and felt MUCH better. I breathed in and out, enjoying the pain-freeness. A high whistle sounded off and I looked around, seeing Alice move her head. "Go on ahead. I'll meet you there."

I nodded and she jumped onto the platform, making it lower, and set the bomb on it, jumping off. I twirled into the steam and then landed on the platform, quickly jumping off. She followed and we made it to the other side.

We ran side by side and stopped at the end. "Are you feeling better?" Alice asked in concern, looking at me. I nodded and put a thumbs up. "All better."

She smiled in relief and jumped onto the platform, setting a bomb down, and jumped to the wooden platform. I followed behind her and we jumped onto the invisible platforms. She detonated it and the platform began to travel down. One after the other, we jumped and floated onto it then off it to make it to the other side.

We walked into the room with three crushers with spikes. "I'll go and you follow." Alice murmured and studied it, running through it carefully. Once she got out of there, I just ran straight through while flailing my arms like a lunatic and screaming.

She giggled and smirked. We then ran through the next set of crushers side by side. Alice destroyed the white wall with the Hobby Horse and we went on out merry way.

We landed on the tall platform and she destroyed another white wall. I noticed Cheshire appear out the corner of my eye and looked at him. "Saving Wonderland means saving yourself." he murmured and disappeared.

I looked back at her and she walked out, a Clockwork Bomb on the pressure pad. We nodded and jumped towards the long platform. We landed on it and jumped into the steam, going over the spikes, and landed on the other side.

Carefully, we jumped onto each moving pillar to avoid the scissors and made it to the other side. After walking up the ramps, we jumped over the scissors and landed on the platform in front of us and she blew up the white wall.

We ran into a room and we ignored the Slithering Ruins that dropped down to the ground. Our priority is finding the Dollmaker and kicking his ass, but she doesn't know that just yet. When we ran through the wide hallway, the ground began shaking and wood fell from the ceiling, creating holes in the floor.

We had to jump over them just to reach the end and we jumped onto the stairs, running up them and into the area with broken wood everywhere in the ground. We walked only a few inches in when all of a sudden, an Ultra Doll Girl walked out from behind a corner, holding halves of a pair of scissors. She spotted us and screeched at us.

'Really?' I thought and dodged when she sprinted towards us. Two Bitch Babies and Drifting Ruin appeared and I growled, taking out my fan. Alice fired a blast from the Teapot Cannon and it hit the oversized doll.

I threw it and it crashed through both Bitch Babies and one Drifting Ruin. It came back and before I could catch it, someone else did. The black cloak flowed and Matthew smirked, closing the weapon. "Not you again." I growled and rolled my eyes.

"Well excuse me!" he cooed and raised his hands up to his face. "I just have to kill you both and then I'll leave."

"Bullshit!" Alice snapped and dodged an attack from the enemy.

He chuckled and threw the fan towards her. She yelped when it neared her and I dodged in front of it, hitting it away with my staff. "Stop it you douche!" I barked. He chuckled and jumped into the air. I squeaked and blocked the attack, his scythe hitting the middle of the staff.

Dollgirl giggled and ran towards Alice. She growled and hit her again with a splash from the Teapot Cannon, making her clothes come off.

I yelped as I blocked each swing from him. Matthew snarled and brought it over his head, quickly bringing it down. It slammed against the metal weapon and I grunted as I was pushed back slowly. "I've tried to make your deaths quick and painless, but no! You keep doing stupid shit that makes it worse and now look where you're at!" he shouted.

I noticed the part where his scythe was on my staff begin to crack and my eyes widened with fear when it began to crack even louder and quicker. In seconds, the Daimyos Staff broke in half and he brought the scythe down quickly.

Blood escaped my body through the wound inflicted to my chest. Alice's eyes widened in fright and she stumbled slightly. "Brianna!" Matthew laughed maniacally as he sliced me all over, bringing the weapon back and bringing it to my skin, creating deep wounds.

Blood hit everything and I fell to the ground with a thud, coughing up blood. He raised the scythe high above his head and he grinned. "Off with your head!"

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them after a minute. Matthew grunted, the blade near my head, and he slowly turned his head to look towards Alice. She stood in her Hysteria form, breathing heavily, and sprinted towards him, Vorpal Blade by her side.

He yelped and tried to swing at her. She grabbed the handle and yanked it out of his hands, jumping onto his back. He screeched when she grabbed the bottom of his mask and began to pull it off with one hand, stabbing him repeatedly and quickly in the stomach with the other.

He flung her off and melted into the ground quickly, his scythe disappearing.

The nineteen year old got out of the indestructible form and quickly got up, rushing towards me. "Hang on please!" she murmured, fear in her tone and ran towards the lever, pulling it. A closed off box/room transported down some chains and stopped, the door opening.

She ran up to me and picked me up, running into the small room, the door closing.


	24. The truth has been set free

Alice, still holding me, ran out of the room and across the door, turning a corner. She ran up the stairs, the front of her dress stained with fresh blood, and turned another corner, running into the opening. Cheshire appeared sitting near her on the right side and grinned. "Annihilate what threatens to destroy you two."

He disappeared and she growled. She jumped onto the moving orange cone shaped platform and onto the blue cube. She twirled and landed on the walkway in the doll head and ran through it. On the other side, she jumped to each blue cube and landed on the wooden platform, setting me on the shrinking violet.

"Arigato." I whispered and shrunk down. She nodded and tried to calm herself down. She stood up and walked onto the pressure pad near me, waiting patiently. The doll head behind us rose up, along with a slightly thin rectangular green platform and a steam vent.

The doll head turned and I got back to normal size, placing my hand on her arm. She jumped and looked at me. "Don't scare me like that!" I smiled and flinched when she brought me into a hug. "I was so worried about you." Alice whispered and set her cheek on my head.

I frowned and looked up at her slightly. "Would you like to go first?"

She nodded and I stood on the pressure pad. She handed me a Clockwork Bomb and the detonator and jumped into the steam, making her way towards the doll head. I watched her walk into the doll head and set the bomb down, instantly running away.

I landed on the path and ran through it, leaping out right as I detonated it. I noticed a Colossal Ruin snarl at Alice, exposing most of its faces, and I summoned my fan, grunting when it became heavier. I looked at it and noticed that it was bigger than it originally was. 'So when it's broken, it gets bigger.' I thought and grinned, landing on the stitched up platform.

Alice grunted and dodged a burning doll head, firing a tea grenade at it. Some faces shattered and I threw my weapon. The ruin enemy snarled when five faces were cut out and shattered. I stomped on a Slithering Ruin and ran when a lot surrounded me.

Alice growled and threw the Vorpal Blade at a face, shattering it. The Colossal Ruin snarled and started to bend down, trying to pick up anything. She yelped and grunted when it pulled her into the air. "Alice!" I shouted and threw my fan at it, slicing off an arm.

She hit the ground with a thud and quickly got up, charging the Teapot Cannon. "Are you okay?!" I asked as I ran up to her.

"Never better." she replied and looked at me, smirking. She fired it and shattered the last remaining faces. It yelped and bent down, the large doll face showing, and began to breathe fire. "We charge at it…now!" she shouted and sprinted towards it, Vorpal Blade by her side.

I nodded and got out the Daimyos Wasp staff, back in one piece, and ran after her. We jumped into the air and brought down both weapons into the face. It yelped as we repeatedly stabbed it over and over, each one getting quicker, and soon the face shattered.

It stumbled back and melted into the ground, along with the Slithering Ruins. We laughed and she patted my shoulder. "You're okay kid. You're okay."

I blushed slightly and giggled and we walked away. The nineteen year old got rid of the dried ruin covering the pressure pad and stood on it, allowing me to go first. The doll head in front of us lowered and I jumped onto the blue cube and then to the orange cone.

I jumped onto the walkway and walked through the doll head, jumping right as the swinging doll passed, and landed on the smaller platform, right on another pressure pad. I waved her over and she followed.

The one in front of the doll head Alice was in lowered and she jumped into it and I leapt up to get on the walkway, grabbing it with my hand. With all the strength I had (which is very little) I successfully pulled myself up and ran towards the other doll head, making it.

We dropped down to the wooden platform on the wall and we slid down the slanted stitched up part, landing on another wooden platform. We dropped to the ground and I noticed that we were near Fort Resistance. That's when I remembered something.

My eyes widened and I sprinted towards the fort. The doors were opened and blood covered the floor. I ran up the ramp and stopped, covering my mouth at what I saw. Instead of what was in the game, the Insane Child Leader laid there, her head missing, 'Off with her head' written in blood on the wall next to her.

I growled and looked away. "Matthew…damn you!"

Alice set her hand on my shoulder and I looked at her. "We need to get going. I'm sure she's in a better place." I nodded and we walked away. The splintered wood lowered into the ground and Snail's Trail was open.

We hesitated but ran into the hall in the doll's backside (it's still awkward), darkness slightly swallowing us, and we ran out of its mouth and into the open. Doll heads surrounded us, along with other garbage and dollhouses.

"Are you ready?" Alice asked me. I nodded and looked at her. "Are you?"

"Always."

We both walked side by side into the open dollhouse and the wall closed behind us. Two Menacing Ruins formed along with a Dollgirl and I looked at her. "I'll go after the doll. You can go after the others." She nodded in agreement and we went our separate ways.

I summoned the staff and lunged at the oversized doll, hitting her across the face. Alice shattered the arms to both ruin enemies and went after the one of the left, hopping up the building blocks. As soon as she got to the top, she started to stab it.

Dollgirl screeched as one arm was torn off and I swung the metal staff, tearing the other one off. I summoned the Octo Grinder and started to shoot her. Her clothes came off and she whimpered.

Alice deflected the last ruin ball and hit the Menacing Ruin with the Hobby Horse, tearing out its last face. She then twirled to the other side, immediately shooting it with the Teapot Cannon.

I shoved the staff through the doll's heart and she screamed, disappearing when she collapsed to the ground. I heard the other Menacing Ruins cry and Alice peered over the edge. "Come on up! It's safe now."

I nodded and hopped on each building block, making my way to the other side. The nineteen year old destroyed the ruin barrier and pulled the lever. I noticed the ceiling go down and some steps where shown.

She walked up to me and I looked at her. We both nodded and I allowed her to go first up the steps and followed behind her. When we got to the top, we walked towards the piano and I instantly looked away. The Insane Child Leader's head was in one of the compartments, her mouth open and her eyes missing.

Alice just ignored it and stood in front of it, starting to play a melody. She did this three times and folded her arms, gritting her teeth. "No melody should soothe this outrage!" I nodded and the wall lowered. "Let's go Brianna." she murmured and walked away.

I followed behind her and we jumped into the opening, landing on the ground. "There she is!" I smiled happily and ran towards her. "Are you okay?" She didn't respond. The Insane Child Leader just faced the wall, looking around sometimes.

"Come on. We need to get moving." Alice called out.

"Okay." I whispered sadly and walked away. We walked through the entrance and up the stairs. Alice walked up to the Jack in the box thing and began to turn the crank. Two heads popped out and flew through the air, landing in the house in front of us.

(We then had to go through Off With Her Head Part 2)

We dropped down to the floor in what looked like the same room from before when we were underground and instantly went down the slide. We separated and then came back together in the end, landing in a room, a Menacing Ruin forming on the raised platform we were on. Two Dollgirls appeared below us and I looked at her. "I'll get these stupid dolls."

She nodded and deflected a ruin ball just in time, shattering its arms. I dropped down to the ground and went after the sandy blonde one, hitting it with the staff.

Alice started to slice the faces with the Vorpal Blade, tearing out one. She dodged forward when it batted at her and continued to slice the faces. Soon all of the faces were torn out and it melted into the ground.

Matthew stood in front of the Dollmaker and the man looked at him. "The guests have arrived. Go show them some hospitality." He nodded and grinned, jumping off the table.

Dollgirl whimpered when her clothes were torn off and I threw my fan at her, slicing open her chest. She kneeled down and instantly breathed fire. I dodged back and noticed a figure leap into the air. I screamed when the figure slammed the bottom of his scythe into the ground and I knew instantly who it was.

Matthew instantly grabbed my throat and pulled me into the air. "You shouldn't be here!" he snapped and kicked me away. Alice hit the naked Dollgirl with a splash from the Teapot Cannon and she screech, falling to the ground with a thud.

I grunted as I got up and glared at him. "Damn you!" He disappeared and formed behind me, making me jump when he grabbed my bottom jaw. "No need for such language." he cooed and grabbed my hip, pulling me closer to him. "Get away from me!" I shrieked and pushed him away, hitting him in the face with the Daimyos staff.

Alice killed the other Dollgirl and rushed towards me, grunting when she was rammed by a Bitch Baby. Three more appeared and she grunted, deflecting their shots. Matthew quickly got up and swung his weapon at me. I dodged and tripped over my foot.

"You should have stayed home! You should have just fucking stayed where you were at! And now I have to kill you!" he shrieked and swung at me. I blocked it with the staff and he pushed down aggressively.

He stood over me, his pitch black voids for eyes glowing red slightly. My eyes widened when the staff began to crack again. "NO!" I shouted and kicked him in the balls. He pulled away and chuckled wickedly. "Doesn't hurt."

"No, but this will." Alice murmured, making him jump and turn around. Matthew screeched as she stabbed him in the face with the Vorpal Blade, repeating that four times. He kicked her away and melted into the ground as he held his face.

I shakily got up and she stood up as well. The enemies were all killed and pink mushroom springs appeared out of the blue blocks. We went on our way and soon made it to the other side of the whole entire place. She destroyed the white wall with the Hobby Horse and we walked down the wooden walkway, towards the door.

I opened the door and we walked into the darkness side by side, the door shutting. "I had a role in my family's demise but I did not start the fire." Alice murmured to herself. "Centaurs don't live in Oxford, but a certain doctor did. I saw him; a preening undergraduate. Now I remember him! That key belongs to Lizzie's room!"

She opened the door and we walked out, shutting the door behind us. Loud noises filled the air and we continued on our way, walking side by side down the path. We walked into the open and I looked down, my jaw dropping when I saw the train below us. "I can't believe March Hare and Dormouse made this train."

"I bet they were under control to get the idea of making a train." she murmured. I nodded and we walked up the stairs. She jumped into the steam and I followed. We landed on the walkway above us and walked up some more stairs and stopped before the opening. "Let's go see what's corrupting Wonderland." Alice murmured.

"Okay." I agreed and we walked into the darkness.


	25. The ruthless Dollmaker

We walked around the corner and down some stairs. I gritted my teeth in fright as children were hung on hooks, their bodies covered with doll parts. "This place is creepy." I murmured, noticing six Insidious and three Drifting Ruins form.

"As long as I'm here, you don't need to be afraid." Alice smiled and got out the Teapot Cannon. We could hear the train from in here as well. She shot each ruin enemy when they were clumped up, killing most of them

I got out the Octo Grinder and began to shoot a Drifting Ruin when it showed its face. It made odd noises and fell into the darkness. When they were gone, we jumped to each platform with stairs on them and finally onto the large wooden platform.

I squeaked when a hand grabbed mine and I looked around. Matthew stood there, his mask all fixed. "Please don't go in there." he whispered. Alice walked up to us and glared at him. "We have to in order to see what's corrupting Wonderland."

"Well you stupid bitch, don't take my sister along."

I squirmed when he pulled me towards him and she raised her upper lip. "Well I'm going anyway. You can come too Brianna if you want."

My eyes showed fear when she walked away, jumping over the gap, and walked up the stairs. "Alice…" I whispered.

"Forget about her. We need to leave before the Dollmaker gets us." Matthew murmured and began to walk away. I yanked my hand away and he looked at me in shock. "Alice! Wait, please!" I called out, jumping to the other side.

"You moron!" he shouted out. I disappeared from his sight and his jaw dropped slightly. 'Please don't hurt her.'

I turned a corner and noticed Alice just standing there. The nineteen year old smiled at me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "I knew you'd come along. We need to finish this together, the way we started in the first place."

"Of course we do. We're friends and nothing can change that." I added.

"You should also tell me how to do that move when you kick something in mid-air."

I giggled and she let her hand hang by her side. "Just jump and kick the enemy while in the air."

She nodded and we walked up the stairs side by side. As we neared the Dollmaker, an angry look crossed her face and she balled her hands into a fist. We got on the table and she walked up to him slightly.

"Am I not the most wretched and selfish of fortune's fools? Oblivious! I live in a training ground for prostitutes!" Alice shouted in an outrage. "My mentor is an abuser and purveyor! I've been complicit with my sister's murderer, and the killer of my family as he corrupted my mind! I sought relief from my pain and you turned me away from the truth!"

"You were almost there," the Dollmaker murmured, grabbing a child from below the table we were on. Her screams were hardly even heard. "almost free from what you fear. You could have been cured, you could have forgotten!"

"Abandon the memory of my family?" she hissed.

"They are dead, and you should be too." he retorted.

I ran up to her and clung to her arm in fright, sensing her body trembling with rage. "You misbegotten abomination, murderer!" Alice snarled. "You blood sucking parasite! The damage you've done to children. The abuse!"

I just now noticed that the girl's head had a doll head over it. "I provide a service. In the great and awful metropolis appetites of all sorts must be gratified." the man replied and dropped the child into the hole near him.

"My family, my mind, the Infernal Train!" she yelped.

"The train is your…invention, your defense. I merely set its schedule and itinerary."

My jaw dropped when he picked up another child and held her out in front of him. "The train is coming with its shiny cars, with comfy seats and wheels of stars. So hush my little ones and have no fear; the man in the moon is the engineer." he sang and covered her head as well, dropping her into the hole.

"I'll stop that train...if it's the last thing I do!" Alice snapped.

"As you wish." the Dollmaker murmured. I screamed and quickly got back when he grabbed her, pulling her towards him. "It will be." he finished and covered her head with the one from the Off With Her Head mini games.

Matthew formed near him on the table and I landed on my backside as I watched him cover her flailing body parts with doll parts that fit her. When he was done, she didn't move at all, and he held her in front of him. "You're lost, and where your body is your mind will follow. Perhaps it's already there."

My eyes widened when he dropped her into the hole and I just lost it. "ALICE!" I shrieked, getting his and Matthew's attention. "Give her back you monster!" Matthew watched in shock as I ran towards him and started to beat on his hand.

"Who are you?" the Dollmaker questioned and grabbed the back of my dress, lifting me in the air. "Put me down!" I screeched and kicked my legs frantically. "Sir please be gentle!" Matthew called out and rushed towards him.

The man chuckled and set me in his palm. I instantly froze in my spot when I got a better look at him. He was almost human looking and that scared the shit out of me. "This is the girl you said was your sister, right Reaper?"

"Y-yes…yes sir."

I flinched when he brought his finger to my face and moved my hair out of my eyes. "You sure are a beautiful thing." he complimented, the face on his hand making a weird noise. I blushed dark red when his finger traced my body and he chuckled. "If I were to make you a doll, you wouldn't be a fighter or a guard. You'd be a rare prize possession!"

I gritted my teeth and growled slightly when he tugged my cheek gently. He grunted and looked at me in annoyance. I latched onto his finger, my teeth going into his skin. I dug my fingers into his skin and he growled.

I screamed when I was slammed onto the ground. "Brianna!" Matthew shouted and rushed towards me. The Dollmaker chuckled and reached down to pick me up. "Get away from her!" he snarled and sliced a finger off with his scythe. He grunted and swatted him away.

He yelped and fell over the edge. "Matthew!" I called, squeaking when he picked me up. "Get away!" He growled in annoyance as I kicked my legs and flailed my arms around. He reached into a drawer and pulled out some spare doll parts.

"I guess I'll have to rush this."

He put a doll leg over mine and hooked it up and it instantly felt like I couldn't feel them. He did the same with my other leg and struggled to get my arms. "Stop!" I shrieked when he put the torso on, hooking it up.

He hummed a little tune as he polished the doll head against his shirt and put the top over my face, my screams becoming muffled, and hooked the back up, silencing my screams.

"You'll just have to wait."

He dropped me into the hole and I landed on Alice's body.


	26. The end of daze

After what seemed like hours, the hole we were in began to shake, everything dropping from underneath. Every single one of us, the children, Alice, and I, fell out of the hole when it opened at the bottom.

Alice turned around, curled up into a ball, and spread her arms and legs out, the doll parts shattering. I flinched when the ones covering me shattered as well and I floated near her. The train was moving and we floated inside it near the middle.

Our feet hit the ground and we looked around. The area was much larger than I expected and she looked at me. "Are you alright Brianna? Did he hurt you?" Alice asked in concern. I smirked and shook my head, crossing my arms. "I'm alright. I bit him on the finger."

She smirked and nodded, patting my shoulder. "As long as you're okay."

We continued to look around and I looked at her. "Hey, Alice. Can I go ahead to see if it's safe?"

"Are you sure you want to?" she questioned. I nodded. She sighed and nodded. "It's alright with me but if something happens, come right back."

"Thanks." I smiled and hugged her. She blushed slightly and smiled, patting my head. I turned around and began to run across the metal flooring. "And hurry back!" the nineteen year old called out. When I reached the entrance to the first room, I turned around and gave her a thumbs up. "Will do!"

I poked my head out from behind a seat, just watching Hatter hit his staff against his hand. 'This place is awful. They don't have my tea ready yet.' he thought, screaming when I lunged at him and wrapped my arms around his torso.

"Hatter I missed you so much!" I smiled, rubbing my head against his shoulder. He had a total spaz attack and squirmed around. "Who the hell are you?!" I pulled away and looked up at him, tilting my head slightly in confusion. "Oh, it's just you…..what was your name again?"

"Brianna."

He snapped his fingers and scratched his head. "That's right! You were that girl Alice introduced me to." I nodded and smiled, happy that he remembered me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him dearly. "I really missed you." I whispered, trying to stop myself from crying.

"I missed you too….I don't really know why though." Hatter murmured and patted my back and I pulled away. "What do you mean?"

Hatter shrugged. "I just remember my domain breaking apart and then nothing. I can't remember after that." I nodded slowly and he clapped his hands together. "Oh well, enough of that nonsense. How about some tea."

"Yes please."

I sat down next to him and the top of his hat opened, a metallic arm slightly reaching out while holding a teacup, and he grabbed the cup. "You have your own stash of tea?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow. He chuckled and handed me the cup. "Of course! Every man should have his own stash of tea!"

I grabbed the handle and held the plate below it. "Go on!" Hatter chimed, seeing me hesitate. "Drink up! I didn't put anything in it so don't worry. It's not poisoned or anything like that." I looked at him oddly and thought that it might've been rude not to drink it. So I did.

I blew on the tea and took a sip. It actually tasted pretty good. "How is it?" the man asked curiously. I took another sip, my eyes closed, and opened them when I pulled the teacup away from my lips. "It's very good Hatter. I really like it."

A blush creeped on his face and he smiled, moving back in his seat in embarrassment and looked at me. "It's my own recipe." I nodded and took another sip. Even if he was still a bad guy like he was in the first game, I enjoyed his company.

Alice grunted in annoyance and looked around, slightly worrying. 'What is she doing?' she thought and began to run. She neared the entrance and walked through it. She looked around and jumped slightly when she saw me sitting next to Hatter, chatting with each other.

Hatter looked at her, still hitting the staff against his hand, and she walked up to us. "Hatter, we must stop this Infernal Train and the evil force that drives it!" she informed. I looked at him and he had a look on his face that seemed like pity.

"Everything's a nail, is it Miss Hammerhead?" he questioned out loud. "First it was your search, freighted with fear and fragmented memories. Now it's the train! Never time for tea. While your brain's on holiday, we're ruined! Now we're all mad here and that's a good excuse for going to hell in a teapot, but not for forgetting what your senses saw. Forgetting is just forgetting, except when it's not. Then they call it something else. I'd like to forget what you did. I've tried, but I can't."

Alice frowned in sadness and lowered her head, walking away. "A-alice! Wait!" I called and quickly got up, setting the drink down on the seat, and got into the aisle. I squeaked when he grabbed my hand and I turned to face him.

Hatter kissed my hand gently and looked at me, giving off a slight smile. "You be careful. Make sure she doesn't get hurt as well. She's a very dear friend of mine." I nodded and he let go and I ran out of the room, leaving him all alone.

"Alice!" I called as I neared her. She stopped and looked at me. "It's my fault. I now realize what's happening." I looked at her and balled my hand into a fist and brought it up to my face. "Then let's go get that fucker and make him pay for what he's done to Wonderland!"

The nineteen year old laughed slightly and nodded. We walked side by side and into another room. Caterpillar watched us and we walked up to him. "Come to receive your punishment then?" he asked as he looked at her.

His wings flapped and she shielded her eyes slightly. "I know I'm guilty of something, but punishment never suits the victims of the crime." Alice informed as she looked up at him.

"Abuse is a crime the strong visit on the weak. And you're right! Abusers are insufficiently punished for the damage they do. Those who witness abuse without seeking retribution for the harmed pay a penalty. Your own pain mitigates your failure to act earlier, but you may not yet have paid enough for witnessing the pain of others."

She lowered her head but then looked at me and we ran out of the room. We got into the open and ran around a square shaped pillar in the middle of the floor. We then got into another room (I still don't know what they are). We walked down the aisle and stopped near the queen. I curtsied and she nodded slightly in approval.

"My Lizzie…" Alice began in shock. "What is this train's destination?"

She raised her upper lip slightly and crossed her arms over her lap. "Madness and destruction. You shouldn't ask questions you know the answer to, it's not polite. And that noise wasn't Lizzie talking in her sleep."

"Oh no…poor Lizzie!" Alice whimpered.

"And there are no centaurs in Oxford." The queen stated. "Make your survival mean something! Or we are all doomed!"

I noticed her run away and I curtsied again before running after her. "I'll get the bastard that did this!" she shouted as we ran over the clear walkway. I looked down and noticed that ruin was below us, along with insane children that were dead.

We ran down the steps and into the very front of the train. We ran along the metal path, past the two metal pillars, and stopped near the front. Loud laughing sounded off and the wall (?) in front of us was torn off. The Dollmaker was shown and he slapped away the part on the left side and pulled the one away on the right.

For some odd reason, he was missing his arms and they were replaced by thick wire. "Hide in your shell." he murmured and bowed, his right hand going in front of him. I gritted my teeth and noticed that Alice was shaking with rage again.

He placed his right hand on the walkway we were on and the doll face on it turned black with ruin. "The past must be paid for." It moved around and went into the air, forming a fist, and smashed into the ground. Alice dodged up to it and hit it with the Hobby Horse. She stabbed it, putting all her anger into it.

It cracked and the hand pulled away, the face turning black again. It walked around on its fingers towards her and pulled back. The nineteen year old grunted when it swatted at her, knocking her off her feet. "Alice!" I shouted and ran up to her.

She quickly got up and looked at me out the corner of her eye. "I'll be alright."

The hand stood still, the pinky and pointer finger curled to make it look like a body (to me it looked like a body with its hands on its hips) and made a movement like it was pelvic thrusting. The Dollmaker laughed as some Insidious Ruins formed at each corner of the area and made his hand go down.

We yelped and quickly began to run when he began to drag his nails across the glass. "I have a plan!" I shouted as I covered my ears. "I'll distract him!" She nodded and I dodged towards it, quickly dodging to the right.

His hand followed me as I kept on dodging around the left pillar, killing every Insidious Ruin. He growled and tried to swat me away. I dodged and turned around quickly, grinning. He set his hand on a pillar and the doll head began to breathe fire. "No way!" the nineteen year old shouted.

We ran around, trying not to get burned and it stopped, turning back to a normal doll face. "I'm sick of this shit!" I shouted and summoned my fan, spinning around three times quickly, and threw it at him. He grunted and yanked his hand away when the doll face shattered.

"Ineffectual twat!" he growled, placing his left hand on the platform. "The cost of forgetting is high." It had a much more Dollgirl sound to it and he bent his hand backwards, pretending to shake its make believe butt at us. 'That's so wrong.' I thought.

He pulled his hand into the air quickly and slammed it next to us as we dodged just in time, repeating that two more times. It was placed on its fingers, the face turning to normal and Alice got out the Pepper Grinder right as I got out the Octo Grinder.

We stood on each side and began to fire, hitting the face on both sides. It made odd noises and got up after cracking. I noticed that it was the hand that Matthew cut the finger off of. It neared us and swatted at us. She dodged in time. I didn't get the memo.

I grunted when I hit the floor and gasped when I hit a pillar. The Dollmaker made his hand go up, moving his pointer and middle finger in the air, and brought them down to the ground. I screamed and quickly got up as they "stomped" towards me.

"Brianna!" Alice shouted. I dodged away right as it pulled away into the air and slammed its two fingers into the floor. The man chuckled and pulled to the farthest corner and did the 'no no' sign. The face became vulnerable as he dragged his finger across the glass.

He pushed the wind or whatever he made with his finger towards us and we jumped over it, killing the two Insidious Ruins behind us. He did this three more times. He did it again and grunted in pain when he hurt his finger. "Now!" Alice shouted.

I nodded and sprinted towards his hand, my staff by my side and jumped into the air, slamming it inside the doll head. I quickly pulled it out and repeatedly stabbed it aggressively.

The doll head shattered and he yelped, yanking his hand away. He laughed and leaned down slightly. "Make believe avengers!"

"What the fuck did you just say?!" I shouted out for no reason. He gave me an odd look. I then raised my hand and flipped him off. Alice looked at me in shock and laughed. "You're insane you know that?"

"Good."

Both of his hands roamed the platform, going around the pillars, and the left hand backed to a corner. His right hand rested on the glass and opened and closed quickly, opening widely. It moved towards us but didn't go for her. Instead, it went for me.

I flinched and screamed when it tightly grabbed me. It felt like my pelvic was being crushed from the fact that he put most of the pressure in that area. "Do not want!" I shouted before I was slammed into the ground.

"Brianna!" she shouted and rushed towards me. I gritted my teeth as she helped me up and I glared at him. "That hurt you dick!" I screamed. He laughed in amusement and his left hand made another grabbing motion.

I screamed when I was grabbed again and pulled away from her. "Dammit!" I shouted going higher in the middle of the word when he pinched hard in the same area. It felt like a certain part of my pelvic cracked.

The Dollmaker slammed me to the ground and laughed maniacally, grabbing the two pillars, and bent down, letting his tongue land on the floor, doll heads in it. Alice sprinted towards it and fired the Teapot Cannon. He grunted and pulled away when a doll head shattered.

Three Drifting Ruins formed in the air and his tongue got shorter (or it looked shorter). I grunted and I managed to get to my knees. It hurt to move my legs and I summoned my fan, throwing it at the ruin enemies.

They all yelped and exploded after their faces were slashed. Alice continued to fire shots from the Teapot Cannon, destroying more faces, and summoned the Pepper Grinder, shooting at the last one until it shatter.

The Dollmaker screamed as he bent backwards and grunted, falling into the ruin around him. Alice breathed heavily and we jumped when we heard the sound of screeching glass. Matthew grunted as he tried to stay on the platform, his claws digging into the glass, and he looked at us.

His mask shattered and the wires that ran through him became visible and slashed open his arms and legs. Blood made a path in front of him and he gritted his teeth. Matthew screeched as his hands gave way and he was pulled across the floor.

"Matthew!" I shouted and got up, ignoring the huge amount of pain in my pelvic, and began to limp towards him. Alice followed and before I could grab his hand, he was pulled over the edge of the platform. I fell to my knees and I looked over just in time to see him land on a metal bit from the front of the train. A rail went through his chest and straight through his heart, tearing it into pieces. Matthew groaned as he disappeared.

Alice's jaw dropped in shock and she looked at me. "What just happened?" I frowned and struggled to stand up, wincing. "He's…in a better place now." I replied. She nodded and placed my arm around her shoulder and we walked slowly away.

Just when we thought it was safe, the Dollmaker's right hand burst out of the ruin, all skeletal looking, and grabbed my ankle. I shrieked in fright as I was pulled away from her and dragged quickly across the floor. "ALICE!" I shrieked and was pulled over the edge.

"Brianna!" the nineteen year old screamed, hearing a sickening cracking sound, and her jaw dropped when I floated into the air, barely visible, and disappeared. She dropped to her knees and screamed again, tears rolling down her cheeks. Cheshire appeared next to her and didn't grin at all. He looked at her and she gritted her teeth. "I promise I'll avenge you Brianna. I promise!"

After she said, she became light headed and passed out. Once she woke up, she noticed that she was in her asylum room, holding her rabbit in her right arm. Alice sat up and rubbed her head, setting her rabbit on her side. She stood up and walked up to the door, opening it, and found herself walking down the steps of Houndsditch.

Her dress changed into her London dress and she gritted her teeth. 'I know what I must do now.' she thought as she made her way down the road, past the ghost children, and walked down the steps and into the train station.

She walked down the other steps and slowed down when she neared Dr. Bumby, standing with his back facing her. "You oozing sore of depravity!" Alice snapped, making him turn around to face her. "Children wearing their names around their necks as if they're breeding livestock!"

"A declaration of their pedigree. You could use one. They're proud to display their provenance!" Bumby replied and laughed maniacally. A disgusted look crossed her face. "You brute! They can't remember who they are or where they're from! How many minds have you twisted into forgetfulness?!"

"Not enough. Yours would have been a triumph. Still, you're an insane wreck. My work is done."

"You used me…and abused me! But you will not destroy me!" Alice snapped.

"No? The damage is done. The old Alice and her Wonderland retreat are demolished." he remarked, smirking. "You can't even recognize what's happened! And you're powerless to change it or move against me. I've made certain of that."

"You corrupted my memories. But you failed to make me forget!" she growled, anger in her eyes.

"I could've made you into a tasty bit. Clients out the door waiting for a piece from a raving delusional beauty with no memory of the past or no sense of the future. But you wouldn't forget. You insisted on holding onto your fantasies. You're mad! Like your sister."

"Don't speak of her!" she shouted. "You didn't know her!"

"Your sister was a tease. Pretended to despise me. She got what she wanted in the end." Bumby grinned and held out a watch with Lizzie's bedroom key on it. Alice's eyes widened in shock and she growled furiously. "I'll see you charged, in prison, some half-wit bruiser will make you his sweetheart and then you'll hang!"

"Indeed?" he questioned in amusement. "A hysterical woman, former lunatic, roaring outrageous accusations against a respectable social architect and scientist. My god Alice, who would believe you? I scarcely believe it myself."

"You monstrous creature!" she spat at him. "Such evil will be punished!"

"By whom? By what? Psychotic silly bitch, your madness will be punished! Now leave, I'm expecting your replacement."

Bumby looked at his hand watch and she growled, stomping up to him. Alice grabbed the key and yanked it off the chain, breaking it, and began to walk away. He held his hand out in shock and watched her carefully.

'To drop kick,' she thought. 'Just jump into the air and kick…' The nineteen year old transformed into her Wonderland dress, shocking him, and walked up the stairs silently. 'For you Brianna. We both get justice.'

"Stupid bitch." the man mumbled and began to turn around, jumping in fright when she ran down the stairs and towards him. Alice jumped into the air and brought her legs close to her and rammed her feet into his face. He grunted and held his face before falling onto the tracks and the train ran over him, crushing him under the wheels.

She smirked and got up off the ground, dusting herself off, and walked away.

Alice walked up the stairs to the opening and looked around when she got onto the road. Wonderland and London finally merged together and created Londerland. She sighed and walked down the road, looking around sometimes, and stopped after the sign of Houndsditch.

"Ah Alice," Cheshire began quietly, sitting on the roof to a building, looking out at the sky. "We can't go home again. No surprise really. Only a very few find the way and most of them don't recognize it when they do. Delusions too, die hard. Only the savage regard the endurance of pain as the measure of worth. Forgetting pain is convenient. Remembering it…agonizing. But recovering the truth is worth the suffering. And our Wonderland, though damaged, is safe in memory. For now."

I slowly opened my eyes and I sat up, my eyes widening at what I saw. It almost looked like the room I was in in Rutledge Asylum. I rubbed my eyes and opened them again, seeing a boring hospital room. The TV was on and playing Worlds Dumbest and I smirked when they showed a clip of a skateboard crash.

'That was really exhilarating.' I thought as I ran my hand through my hair. I was pretty sad that I was back in the real world and not with Alice. I hoped that she was okay. I looked at Matthew and he just laid there, snoring slightly, and looked at the drawer next to me.

My Alice game was laying there with a sticky note next to it and I grabbed the note, reading it in my head.

**You guys are getting pretty good at this! Sadly since your brother never made any allies, he doesn't get anything, unless he wants his mask back. Lol. But anyway, I look forward to the rest of your adventures.**

**Sincerely, Dunstan**

I smiled and frowned, looking at him. I felt bad for him. I got over it after a few minutes and reached under the flat pillow on my bed, my fingers touching what felt like metal. I pulled it out and my eyes widened at what I saw.

I held Alice's Greek omega necklace by the chain and I covered my mouth. 'A-alice….' I thought and held it close to my chest.

(Some weeks later)

I read through my The Art Of: Alice Madness Returns book and some jackass boy I hate that's in my grade and second hour class walked up to me during second hour ironically. "That book's scary." Owen murmured, making his friend snicker.

"So is your mom but people don't say that to her face in case she goes insane and kills everyone." I replied and flipped a page, getting to the page where it showed all the dresses she has, even the DLC. His eyebrow twitched and he grabbed my book. "What'd you-"

"Don't you EVER touch my book!" I shouted, making him jump when I stood up and grab his hand, squeezing tightly. "If you do it again I swear to god I'll chop your fingers off with the Vorpal Cleaver!"

That got him to shut up. He silently walked away and Mr. Klooster (my teacher) gave me an odd look. I just opened it back up and continued reading, imagining Owen running around screaming his head off after I cut his fingers off. 'Oh how fun that would be.'

"Are you mad or something?" Lydia, my friend, asked curiously as she looked at me. I chuckled and closed my book, looking at her. "You can't but know we're all mad here." I replied and pointed to my head.

**So how was it? I thought it was good but hard to keep track of. Well, make sure to place protective spells over your doors and windows for next time, we go back to the Sengoku period to battle a demon alongside a half demon half human and a girl who was mistaken to be a dead priestess. See you soon!**


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